Blue Moon: The Alessa Grant Chronicles, Book 1
by CarefullyFalling
Summary: The Courier found outside Goodsprings needs to readjust to life in the Wastes, while trying to track down the man that stole her memory with a bullet. This is "Red Sands" with a new title and a new main character.
1. Prologue: Prelude to a Nightmare

Author's Note: So, I've decided that a cheery, sexy Courier who can get what she wants by sweet-talking people is a little too overplayed, both in fanfiction and in gameplay. So, I've decided to go with the original character I came up with when I first started playing. I will likely be replaying through the game to keep the story as accurate as possible.

Now, this character is also the character I used while playing through Fallout 3, so you could say this takes place in some crazy universe where the Lone Wanderer left everything behind and came to the Mojave, became the legendary Courier Six, and got shot in the head. Fun! (Hey, it makes sense. The Lone Wanderer's pretty unlucky that way.) So this will remain Red Sands, but through the eyes of another Courier. We're also gonna go over the beginning, so you all can understand her a little better. If this fic gets enough good reviews, I may even do a Fallout 3 edition.

Without further ado, (and I swear to whatever Deity may exist above us I will not restart the story again) I bring you Red Sands...Redone. And stuff. Hopefully better? Enjoy! (PS: Sorry this chapter's so short. The next ones will be longer, I promise!) 

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><p>Dark. It was very, very dark. The young woman on the ground by a grave in the Goodsprings Cemetery groaned softly as she tried to establish where she was. She heard people talking, but had no idea who they were.<p>

"You got what you were after," a grizzled-looking African American man grunted to a strange man in a checkered suit. "So pay up!" He sounded angry, and she couldn't help wondering what they were after. Her? But why? What had she done? She fumbled with her hands and feet, only to find them bound, mentally cursing. This wasn't good.

"You're cryin' in the rain, Pally." The man in the checkered suit said smugly, running a hand through his slicked-back black hair. He looked well-off, much more well-off than most Wastelanders. The men who accompanied him looked like thugs. Khans, she deducted by looking at their manner of dress. Why was a man who looked like he'd just stepped out of Vegas being followed around by a couple of Khan thugs? Speaking of the thugs, one of them smirked in her direction, holding a shovel.

"Guess who's wakin' up over here." He hissed. The way he was shaking, holding the shovel more like a weapon than a burial tool, she determined he must've been high on something. Probably Jet, or maybe Psycho. The more she thought about it, Psycho seemed more likely. She looked up at the three, fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins. There was no way out of this, and she knew it.

The man in the checkered suit moved in front of her, looking down at her with a mix of regret and smugness, lighting a cigarette. He took a deep hit of the cigarette, before exhaling the smoke down at her.

"Looks like it's time to cash out." He said idly. The African-American Khan was getting impatient, and he showed it.

"Would you just get it over with!" He growled irritably, but the man in the suit held up a hand to silence him.

"Maybe Khans kill people without lookin' 'em in the face," He stated, glaring at the man, before turning back to the girl on the ground. "But I ain't a fink. Dig?" He dropped the cigarette, grinding it into the ground with a shiny black boot.

"Sorry you got twisted up in this scene, kid." He spoke solemnly to the girl, as he reached into his jacket, the lighter gone from his hand when he removed it, a shining, silver 9mm handgun replacing it. "From where you're kneelin', this must seem like an eighteen-karat run of bad luck," He aimed it at her head, cocking it.

"Truth is...The game was rigged from the start."

Two loud bangs sounded before she could even open her mouth to protest. Once again, darkness began to swallow her, and somehow, she believed it would not let her go this time.


	2. Chapter One: Waking Up in Goodsprings

Author's Note: As a treat, and an apology for suddenly uprooting Red Sands and replacing it, here's a second chapter! 

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><p>The young courier's eyes slowly opened, and bright daylight flooded them, causing her to groan in pain. She lifted an arm weakly to cover her eyes, shielding them from the bright light. After a few moments, she moved her arm. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn't tell where she was.<p>

"Ungh...My head..." She groaned, feeling a throbbing in her head. Why did it hurt so much? And just where was she, anyway?

"Well, you're awake. How 'bout that?" A voice sounded not far from her, and she turned her head. She could vaguely make out a masculine figure, older, with a bald head and a funny mustache. She slowly sat up, shaking a bit as she exerted pressure on her arms. The man rushed to her side, helping her to straighten herself out.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, holding her back until he determined she could sit up properly. "Easy, there. You been out cold a couple'a days now." He took a seat in a chair across from her, looking her over, making sure there was nothing physically wrong. "Why don't you just relax a second? Get your bearings." She looked over to him, speaking softly.

"Where...Where am I?" She asked shakily.

"Goodsprings. You were shot just outside'a town a couple weeks ago. Couple'a thugs had you buried in our cemetery. You're lucky Victor showed up, or you'dve been dead." The man explained. The girl tried to remember...She remembered a man in a checkered suit, but she couldn't remember his face. He smoked, she knew. She remembered a glowing cigarette being smashed into the ground. She also remembered a silver 9mm, with something engraved on the side. She remembered his last words to her, as well.

_"From where you're kneelin', this must seem like an eighteen-karat run of bad luck. But, the truth is, the game was rigged from the start."_

She couldn't understand what he meant, no matter how she racked her brain. "The game was rigged from the start?" The words were cryptic, without much detail. The man sitting before her, presumably a doctor, could tell she had a lot on her mind.

"Well, we'd best see what the damage is. Do you remember your name?" He asked kindly, in an attempt to keep her calm. The girl racked her memory again. Something came to surface. A paper, a contract, maybe? A pale hand messily scribbled a name, "Alessa Grant."

"Grant," She replied, and the man raised an eyebrow at what sounded like a very masculine name for a young woman such as herself. "Alessa Grant." She said again, as if noting his confusion. He chuckled faintly.

"Well, not the sorta name I'dve picked for ya, if you were my kid, but a name's a name." He held out a hand. "I'm Doc Mitchell, and I'd like to extend a formal welcome to Goodsprings." She took his hand, a bit confused as he shook hers, then let go.

"It's...Good to meet you, Doctor." She nodded, and he smiled.

"Now, I noticed you were wearin' glasses when Ol' Vic brought you in, but they were broken. If you'd like, I got a spare pair somewhere around here." He got up, rummaging around a nearby desk, and returned with a pair of well worn reading glasses, handing them to Alessa. "Try 'em on for size."

She slipped the glasses on, and the room cleared up instantly. The house looked fairly old, as if it had been around for at least two hundred years, but it was kept in pretty good condition. It was a little dusty, but Alessa didn't mind that so much.

"Thank you, Doctor." She adjusted the glasses a bit. Doc Mitchell merely smiled.

"No need to thank me. Oh, and by the way, I think you'll need somethin' to cover yerself up. Don't need folks around here pickin' on ya for lackin' modesty." He joked, chuckling as he disappeared again. This time, he came back with a neatly folded leather bodysuit, a large number "21" stitched onto it. He handed it to her, and she ran her hands along the blue leather. She didn't know why, but the suit looked so familiar.

"It was my wife's." Mitchell said, and she looked up, confused. "I grew up in one'a them Vaults they made back before the war, but she didn't wear it much when we left." He chuckled. "Felt it was too brazen. I think she was about your size. If you'd like, I could give ya some privacy while ya change."

"Thank you." She nodded, and Mitchell stepped out. When he came back in, Alessa had pulled the suit on, but the zipper wouldn't go all the way over her chest. Her cheeks flushed a bit. At least she had the white tanktop she'd been wearing to cover most of her cleavage, but she was still quite embarrassed. Mitchell chuckled again.

"Guess I made a miscalculation. Well, y'don't look trashy, so y'don't have to worry." He stood slowly, and held out his hands. "No sense keepin' you in bed anymore. What's say we get you on your feet?" Alessa reached out, taking his hands. Hers were small and pale, but her palms were rough from her years in the Wastes. Mitchell's were darker and rougher than hers. With his help, she slowly rose to a stand, shaking for a moment, but soon steadying herself. "Well," Mitchell commented, "It doesn't look like you have any atrophy goin' on. That's good news. Okay, why don't you try walking to the other end of the room, over by that Vigor-Tester machine, there?" He stepped back a bit from her, hands ready to catch her if she stumbled. She began to take one step, then another, quicker than he thought possible for someone who'd just been shot in the head. "Take it slow, now. It ain't a race." He commented. Alessa slowed her steps, a little frightened of the prospect of falling and hurting herself. It took about five minutes for her to reach the other end of the room, but she made it. Doc Mitchell smiled.

"Good job. Why don't you give the Vigor Tester a try?" He suggested, then chuckled. "We'll learn right quick if you got back all your faculties." Alessa stared at the machine, confused by the two buttons and the odd stick in the middle on the panel sticking out towards her.

"What do I do? Just press the buttons?" She asked, and Mitchell nodded.

"Machine does all the work for ya." Alessa nodded, and began to test herself. Strength was ranked at "Beached Jellyfish," which made her frown slightly. Her Perception, without glasses, was ranked at "Squinting Newt," but with glasses, she was ranked at "Big-Eyed Tiger," a definite improvement. Her endurance was also somewhat low, ranked at "Handle With Care," as well as her Charisma, ranked at "Peevish Librarian." Her Intelligence, and Agility were her best stats, Intelligence at "Smartypants," Agility at "Knife Catcher." However, something strange happened with her luck. The machine actually buzzed and smoked, breaking completely down. Alessa was shocked. Had she done something wrong? Mitchell was shocked.

"I ain't never seen it do nothin' like that before." He commented, amazed. "It's almost like it couldn't decide on a result." Doc Mitchell looked over her other stats, and nodded at her Perception (with glasses), Intelligence, and Agility. She seemed discouraged, however, by her Strength, Endurance, and Charisma. And the fact that her Luck score had broke the machine worried her.

"Don't worry," Mitchell said. "You'll get your strength back in due time, and not everybody can be gifted with a silver tongue. And trust me when I say the Wastes will make you tougher." His face suddenly turned serious. "I won't lie to you. It's dangerous out there. You should know all too well." Alessa cringed slightly as she remembered her wounds. She still didn't know what she had done to deserve them, but didn't want to question it, either.

"Why don't you take a seat on my couch?" Mitchell's question snapped her back to reality, and she nodded. He lead her into the living room, and she sat down on the couch. The next half hour or so consisted of questions, filling out a medical form, and looking at ink blots. The answers showed that she was very intelligent, but didn't like to talk much (not a surprise, judging by her Charisma score). Once all was said and done, Mitchell stood.

"Well, that's that. Oh, before I forget, you'll be needin' your things back." He retreated to another room, and returned with Alessa's belongings. Among them were a leather knapsack, a leather belt with three different pouches and a holster, a well-used 10mm pistol, a note, exactly fifty-three bottle caps, and a strange metal device, that looked like it fit on someone's arm. Alessa took her belongings back, slipping her hand into the device. It fit her perfectly.

"It's called a Pip-Boy," Mitchell explained at her confused look. "Guess you must've grown up in a Vault, too. It was on your arm when you were found. Also, I hope you don't mind, but I gave the note a look. Hoped it'd help me find a next-of-kin. But, it was just somethin' about a Platinum Chip." Alessa quickly read the note over. It was a delivery order from the Mojave Express. She was to deliver a Platinum Chip to someone in New Vegas. She looked up at Doc Mitchell, placing the note and caps into the knapsack, holstering her pistol in the leather belt that now hung around her hips.

"Thank you for, um...For patching me up, Doctor." Mitchell chuckled.

"Don't mention it. S'what I'm here for. If you're still achin', I got a couple'a partin' gifts." He retreated to the "clinic" area, and returned with five Stimpacks, two shots of Med-X, and a small cloth bag. She took the Stims and Med-X, piling them into her sack, and looked into the cloth bag, finding a Laser Pistol with twenty Energy Cells.

"Sir, I can't accept-" She began to speak, but Mitchell cut her off.

"Take it. I don't got any use for it. It'll do you more good'n it'd do sittin' here, collectin' dust." Alessa nodded, tying the small sack around her belt, using it as a makeshift holster. "Now, you may wanna see Sunny Smiles. She can help you get back on your feet, so to speak. Teach you to defend yourself. If you need supplies, talk to Chet. He can provide what you need." Alessa nodded, and Mitchell led her to the door. She thanked him again, and stepped out into the bright sunlight.


	3. Chapter Two: Back in the Saddle

The sunlight was bright, and nearly blinded poor Alessa as she stepped out of Doc Mitchell's home, throwing an arm over her eyes to shield them. She squinted, looking around, taking in the sights as her vision slowly cleared. It was a small town, with wooden buildings that looked to be more than two hundred years old. Probably around from before the Great War, she figured. She was amazed that she could remember why the Wastes became the Wastes, but was lucky to remember her own name. She shook her head, and once her eyes adjusted to the light, began to head down the hill from Mitchell's home, smiling faintly as her feet touched the worn pavement of two-hundred year old streets, and turned to get a better look at the rest of the town.

"Howdy, Pardner!" She nearly jumped six feet in the air as she heard a loud, robotic-sounding, albeit friendly voice from behind her. She turned, coming face to face with a massive, blocky robot. It had a sort of television screen on its chest, a cartoony man with a cowboy hat smiling at her from the screen. Its long tube arms nearly touched the ground, and it moved on a single wheel that looked as if it could turn in all directions.

"Might I say you're lookin' fit as a fiddle!" Alessa stared at him, amazed at the sight.

"I've never seen a robot like you before." She commented. The robot chuckled.

"I'm a Securitron. RobCo Model 2060-B. Most've my brothers are in New Vegas. If you ever see 'em, tell 'em Victor says howdy." She could swear the cowboy face winked. At the mention of his name, her eyes widened.

"Oh...Oh! You're the one who saved me?" She realized, and Victor nodded.

"I was takin' a stroll that night, when I heard a commotion up at the ol' Bone Orchard. Saw what looked like some bad eggs, so I laid low. Once they'd run off, I dug you up to see if you were still kickin'. Turns out you were, so I hauled you off to the ol' Doc right quick. Dunno what you did to annoy those rustlers, but they sure didn't do a good job finishin' you off." Alessa smiled faintly.

"I suppose I'm lucky. Do you happen to know who those men were? Where they went?" She sounded excited, hopeful, but Victor's cowboy-face frowned.

"'Fraid not, but I'm sure somebody in town might be able to tell ya a bit more. Oughta talk to somebody at the Saloon. Think they went in there before they went up to meet ya." Alessa nodded.

"I was actually headed to the Saloon right now. Well..." She trailed off, looking down at the ground shyly. "Um...Thank you for saving me, Victor. If you hadn't come along..."

"Aw, shucks, don't mention it, Little Lady. I always do my best to help those in need." He smiled, and began to roll off. "Happy trails!" He called as he moved away from her. She smiled, then made her way to the Prospector Saloon.

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><p>"Cheyenne, stay!" A stern, but young sounding woman's voice rang out as the door to the Saloon opened. Cheyenne the dog, who had been growling at the potential intruder, instantly quieted at the command of a young woman. She couldn't have been much older than twenty, with reddish-brown hair pulled into a messy bun, tanned skin, and bright blue eyes. The "intruder," in Cheyenne's eyes, was none other than Alessa the courier, who seemed a bit nervous as she closed the door behind her.<p>

"Don't worry," the woman said. "Cheyenne won't bite 'less I tell her to. I'm Sunny Smiles, and if I'm not mistaken, you're the Courier that ol' Victor found in the cemetery, right?"

"Um, yes." Alessa nodded, adjusting her glasses nervously. "Er...Doc Mitchell said you could teach me to survive in the Wasteland." Sunny nodded, checking her rifle briefly before smiling at Alessa.

"Sure, there's a few things I could teach ya. Sounds like you need all the help you can get after what those pigs done to ya..." She trailed off, and Alessa nervously rubbed the bandaged area where her bullet wounds were. Sunny shook her head. "Anyway, why don't you meet me out behind the Saloon? Got a little makeshift firin' range set up there."

"Okay." Alessa nodded, and followed Sunny and Cheyenne out the back door. The "makeshift firin' range" was simply empty Sunset Sarsaparilla bottles set up on fenceposts. It was as makeshift as makeshift could possibly get. Sunny handed her rifle to Alessa, who clumsily fumbled with it.

"See those bottles over there? Take this and try to hit a couple." Sunny explained as Alessa messily tried to aim the gun, firing a shot. She missed the first bottle by about a foot. Sunny shook her head. "Hmm...Try crouchin' down. Might help your aim." Alessa nodded, taking her advice, and shot again. She missed by a mere inch or so that time. She sighed.

"Um...I don't think rifles really care too much for me, Miss Smiles." She said sheepishly. Sunny nodded, taking the rifle back.

"Got anything else you could use?" Alessa nodded, pulling out her 10mm pistol, and her Laser Pistol. She had more ammo for the 10mm, so she decided to use it. She aimed it easily, and the pistol grip fit so well in her hand. She must've had it for a long time, she reasoned, and muscle memory was beginning to take over. She fired, and easily hit the bottle. She smiled at her success, and stood, aiming again. Another hit. Again, and again, and again she fired, until all the bottles had been shot down. Sunny grinned.

"Well now. Looks like pistols are your thing. That was some good shootin'." Alessa smiled at the compliment, reloading her pistol before placing it back in her holster. "Now that we've got that out of the way, why don't you come down to the Source with me? Got some Geckos to clear out, and your assistance would be worth some caps to me." Alessa nodded.

"Alright. I don't really have anything else to do, and I could use all the practice I can get." Sunny smiled.

"Great! Alright, before we head out, we'd better pay Chet a visit. Gotta get you some supplies, and maybe we can reinforce this ol' Vault uniform of yours." Alessa raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Reinforce?" She asked.

"Add some armor to it." Sunny answered. "With the way it is right now, you won't get a whole lot of protection, and believe me when I say Gecko bites hurt like a bitch." The two women (tailed by Cheyenne) made their way to Chet's store. Once inside, Alessa inhaled the musty scent of the old General Store. She actually quite liked the smell. A man peered out from the back room, and sighed in relief when he saw the two women, stepping out to the counter as they stepped forward.

"Oh, you're lucky I saw it was just you, Sunny. I was about to grab my shotgun, in case those bandits down the road tried to come in here again." The man had short, clean-cut brown hair and a slightly scruffy beard. His eyes were small and beady, his brows angled sharply downwards, so he always looked somewhat angry. Alessa assumed this man must be Chet. Sunny frowned at Chet's explanation to his almost hostile behavior.

"You mean Joe Cobb and his boys? They still harassin' you, Chet?" She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Somethin' tells me there's gonna be a fight brewin' soon..." Alessa looked up at Sunny, confused.

"Who's Joe Cobb?" She asked. Sunny forced a grin.

"Oh, don't you worry about him right now. I'm sure you'll meet him eventually." Her tone changed from forced cheer to irritation and disgust. Alessa could tell from the woman's tone that this Joe Cobb wasn't someone Alessa wanted to associate herself with.

"Who's your friend?" Chet asked with an almost flirty tone as he leaned over the counter, eyes wandering up and down Alessa's form, causing the pale girl to blush. Sunny smirked.

"My girlfriend." She said teasingly, and laughed at Chet's wide-eyed, shocked expression. "Calm down, I'm only jokin'. This here is Alessa. She's that Courier Victor found last week." Chet nodded, regaining his composure.

"Way I heard it, it didn't sound like you'd be walkin' out of that office. But Mitch has proven himself to work miracles. Well, welcome to my humble abode." Chet raised his arms, gesturing to the entire store. "Whatever you need, you can find here. Weapons, ammo, I got it all. And if you're hurtin' for caps, I've got some surplus ammo here, too. 'Course, the surplus ammo isn't very desirable. If you can afford it, better to get the good stuff."

"We'll need about 60 or so 5.56 rounds, however many 10mm rounds you have, and do you have any leather armor you're not using?" Sunny asked. Chet nodded, fetching 120 5.56 rounds, ten 10mm rounds, and some beat up leather armor.

"You'll need more than 60 if you're huntin' Geckos, Sunny. I hear they're pretty ornery lately. Besides, your friend looks like she could use some extra ammo, herself." Sunny frowned.

"That's what the 10's are for, but alright, if you insist. Also, I notice you have some scrap metal." Chet nodded. "I'll take that, too." Chet raised an eyebrow, but fetched three pieces of scrap metal for Sunny.

"I dunno what you're up to with all this, but just don't get your pretty friend hurt too bad, okay?" Alessa blushed again as she was called pretty, and averted her gaze quickly. Chet smiled. "Don't talk much, do you? Alright, then. I'll give you a quarter discount, Sunny. You've been doing good work keeping those Geckos out of town." Sunny smirked.

"How nice of you, Chet...And unusual. Are you sure the discount isn't a way to try and flatter my friend some more?" Alessa's cheeks were as red as apples now, and Chet laughed.

"You know me too well, Sunny."

"Pretty women have always been your vice." Sunny replied, and laid the caps on Chet's counter, and the man put them into the ancient cash register beside him. "Thanks for the service." Sunny would soon escort Alessa outside, the Courier still blushing madly.

"W-W-Was he just fl-flirting with me?" She stammered, and Sunny laughed.

"Don't mind him. Not a lot of eligible single women around here, so he often lets his hormones get the better of him. He won't do you no harm, if that's what you're thinking." Alessa quickly shook her head.

"O-Oh, no, I didn't want to imply that." Sunny chuckled, leading her to the alley between the General Store and the Prospector Saloon, where two workbenches sat. One looked like it was meant primarily for ammo, and the other looked like it was meant for anything else.

"These should do us some good. Now, you're gonna hate me for sayin' this, but you're gonna have to take off that Vault suit so I can spruce it up for ya." Alessa's cheeks reddened again, and she nodded, waiting patiently as Sunny removed bits of armor from the Leather Armor, leaving a simple brown leather bodysuit. "This'll cover you up until we get this job done." Alessa nodded, and retreated behind one of the buildings to change. She returned after a moment or so, blushing madly. The leather bodysuit couldn't zip all the way up her bosom, revealing even more cleavage than the Vault suit had. Sunny giggled.

"Well, you're...Gifted, I'll say that."

"Sh-Shut up." Alessa muttered, handing over the Vault suit, crossing her arms over her exposed chest. Sunny soon got to work, hammering the Scrap Metal into a single shoulder pad, and sewing bits of Leather Armor onto the suit. It took about an hour, but when Sunny had finished it, Alessa was amazed.

"Wow...It looks really sturdy." Sunny nodded.

"I think this is my best work yet. Wanna try it on?" Alessa nodded quickly, eager to get out of the leather suit that was a bit too "open" for her tastes. She retreated behind a building once again, and returned after a few moments, wearing her Armored Vault Jumpsuit.

"Wow, it still feels so light, even with the armor." She sounded impressed. Sunny grinned.

"Glad you like it. Alright, then, let's get going. If we don't hurry, those Geckos will wreck our water supply." Alessa nodded, and the women set off.

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><p>"Help! Someone help! There's too many of them!" Alessa heard a faint, feminine cry as she and Sunny cleared the second well of Geckos. Sunny frowned.<p>

"That sounds like..." She trailed off, and soon ran in the direction of the voice. Alessa went as well, but instead of taking the safe route, she carefully made her way down a small rock face to find a young blonde woman surrounded by Geckos. Alessa quickly set to work, aiming her pistol at the head of one Gecko, and shooting. Its head exploded in a mess of blood and brain matter. The other two were distracted long enough for the blonde to get to a safe hiding spot, and as the last two Geckos charged at Alessa, she took them down with ease. She reloaded her pistol as they fell, and made her way towards where the woman hid.

"Are you alright, ma'am? They didn't hurt you, did they?" She asked, looking the woman over. She had a few bite wounds, but nothing too serious. She was panting, scared, but looked grateful.

"Holy moley, if you hadn't come here like you'd done, I'd be a goner for sure." Alessa merely smiled.

"Sunny and I heard you screaming. Come on, I can help you back to town, if you want." The woman shook her head.

"I'll be okay. Just gotta see the Doc when I get back." The two women made their way back to the dirt road and met with Sunny, who looked a bit cross.

"Cindy, how many times do I have to tell you that it's dangerous to come here alone?" She asked sternly. The young woman looked away.

"I know, I know, but with Chet always up at the store thanks to those bandits, who else is supposed to get water?" She reached into a leather pack slung around her shoulders, and removed three bottles of clear water, handing them to Alessa. "You know what? You should have what I got...You look pretty thirsty." Alessa's eyes widened.

"M-Me? But...You went through so much trouble..." Cindy smiled.

"It's okay. Now that those Geckos are gone, I can come back and get some more once Doc Mitchell patches me up. Now, go on. Take 'em." Alessa nodded, taking the bottles, and placed them in her own pack. Cindy soon headed back to town, and Sunny sighed.

"That's Cindy. She's Chet's little sister. She does make a point, though...Those damn Powder Gangers are making things harder on everyone." Alessa raised an eyebrow.

"Powder Gangers?"

"Some bandits that showed up a few days ago. Believe me, you'll see what I mean soon." She shook her head, and removed a handful of caps from a satchel, handing them to Alessa. "Here. You did your part, and a little more, by staying out here with me and savin' Cindy. Now, if you want, I can show you some stuff you can whip up at a campfire, but first we need some ingredients. We need a Broc Flower, which I think is growin' by the cemetery, and some Xander Root, which should be over by the old schoolhouse. Think you're up for it?" Alessa nodded.

"Sure. I'll be right back." And off she went to go track down the required ingredients.

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><p>Alessa opened the door to the Prospector Saloon, having been asked to introduce herself to the bartender and "Town Mom," Trudy, by Sunny after finishing the last task given to her. As she made her way to the bar, she stopped, seeing a gruff-looking, dark skinned man wearing what looked to be a prison guard's uniform threatening an older woman wearing simple clothes. The woman must have been Trudy, Alessa reasoned.<p>

"I'm done bein' nice. If you clowns don't hand Ringo over soon, I'ma get my friends, and we're gonna burn this town to the ground! Got it?" His voice raised, and Alessa felt terror fill her at the tone of his voice. Trudy didn't look fazed, and instead shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time. I'll keep it in mind." She glared daggers at the man, and Alessa was amazed at how courageous she was to stand up to such a terror. "Now then, if you ain't buyin' anything, get the hell out of my bar." The man turned and began to abruptly walk away, shoving Alessa aside in the process. He smirked as she glared at him.

"The hell's your problem? Get the fuck outta my way, bitch." He soon left the bar, and Alessa shook her head. That, she figured, must have been the famous Joe Cobb she was hearing about.

"Well, you've been causing quite a stir." Trudy spoke up, catching Alessa's attention. The girl turned to face the older woman, who had a wry smile on her face. "Glad I finally got to meet you. Welcome to the Prospector Saloon. My name's Trudy." She held out a hand, which Alessa accepted, shaking it.

"Glad to meet you, as well, ma'am. I'm Alessa. Alessa Grant."

"That's a nice name. Unusual, but nice. Anyway, how about a drink?" She offered, but Alessa politely refused.

"No thank you, ma'am. Um...I overheard your argument. What was that all about?" Trudy frowned, glancing to the door.

"Looks like our little town got itself dragged into somethin' we don't want anything to do with." She shook her head. "Few days ago, this trader...I think his name's Ringo. Anyway, he came into town lookin' for a place to lie low. Said people were after him. So, we gave him a place to hide, and not a day or two later, Joe Cobb and his buddies show up demanding we turn Ringo over. Didn't really expect anybody to come after the guy. We just thought he was in shock. Look how wrong we were." Trudy shook her head. Alessa frowned.

"So that's Joe Cobb...It's a little odd that he hasn't found Ringo yet. The town isn't very big." Trudy smiled.

"Cobb hasn't exactly been lookin' too hard for Ringo. Probably afraid Ringo would ambush him, and the concern is probably well placed."

"So, where is this Ringo now?" Alessa asked.

"Well, he's hidin' at the old gas station up on the hill. I'd be careful, though. With the Powder Gangers around, he's likely to shoot first and ask questions later." Alessa nodded, filing that note in her head.

"Um...What exactly -is- a Powder Ganger?" She asked.

"Chain gangs, really. There's a Correctional Facility not far from here. NCR brought the convicts in to build the rail lines. But, apparently, giving a bunch of convicts some blasting sticks isn't a good idea. I dunno who messed up, but there was a big break-out not long ago. Some of the prisoners stuck together to make trouble for the rest of the Wastes, and that's what we're dealing with now." Trudy explained. Alessa nodded.

"Sounds like a lot of trouble. So...What will you do, then?" Trudy shrugged.

"Well, if Ringo asks for help, which he hasn't yet, we might consider helpin' him out. But, personally, I just hope he sneaks out of town one night and takes the Powder Gangers with him."

"Maybe I should talk to Ringo." Alessa said. "See what he plans to do." Trudy nodded.

"That'd probably be a good idea. Just remember, be careful." Alessa nodded, and smiled as she made her way to the door.

"Will do. See you later, Trudy." With that, she exited the saloon, wondering just what kind of trouble she was getting herself into.


	4. Chapter Three: Preparing for the Storm

Author's Note: I haven't uploaded any new chapters in a couple weeks, so I felt kind of obligated to upload another chapter. Besides, my creative juices are really flowing right now. :) This chapter is longer than all of my other ones, and I apologize for that. It may seem a little boring right now, but the action's approaching. Enjoy!

* * *

><p>"That's close enough!" A male voice bellowed as Alessa opened the door to the abandoned gas station on a hill in Goodsprings, and the girl nearly turned tail and ran the other way when she heard the yell. She instantly raised her hands, weapons holstered, and tried to look as non-threatening as possible. Which wasn't hard, really, considering she was scared out of her wits and shaking.<p>

The man standing before her held a 9mm pistol in his right hand, clad in simple clothes. Denim overalls, a brown striped shirt, and a dirty reddish-brown bandanna wrapped around his neck. Black boots, caked with dirt and dust, and a simple leather knapsack finished the ensemble. He had dark brown hair that was neatly slicked back, and was clean shaven, which was unusual to Alessa, as the only men she'd seen so far had stubble, mustaches, or full-on beards. The man was frowning, but looked more scared than angry. "Who are you?" He demanded. "And what do you want with me?" Alessa gulped, finding her words after a few moments, her voice shaking as much as her body.

"I-I-I'm not an e-enemy, if that's what you're th-thinking." She stuttered, mentally smacking herself for not keeping calm. The man felt a bit bad, noting how scared she was, and concluded the girl was not a threat. He lowered his gun, an apologetic look crossing his features.

"Sorry about the gun. You kinda caught me off guard, is all." He put on a bit of a friendly smile now, to try and calm the girl down. It had been a while since he'd had female company. Sunny stopped by on occasion, to make sure he was doing alright, but she never stayed long. "Hey, why don't I make it up to you with a friendly game of Caravan?" Alessa raised an eyebrow, lowering her arms.

"Caravan?" She asked. His eyes widened.

"You mean you don't know how to play? Huh, I figured everyone out here did..." He trailed off. Alessa shook her head.

"I...No, this isn't a time for games...Um...You're Ringo, right?" She asked, and Ringo frowned.

"How do you know my name?" His distrust once again began to boil up, and Alessa cringed instinctively.

"T-Tr-Trudy mentioned you! She, um...She said bandits are after you, lead by J-Joe Cobb." She stuttered again, and Ringo sighed.

"Trudy? That lady at the bar?" He asked, and Alessa nodded. "Well, nice to know someone's lookin' out for me, I guess." He holstered his gun this time. "Yeah. Cobb's after me, but he doesn't look too tough. I hear he's afraid I'll shoot him from one of the windows if he crosses me, and he's right."

"You're not worried?" Alessa asked, amazed. Cobb had scared her witless just by looking at her, but Ringo, who she presumed had already been attacked by Cobb once, didn't even seem nervous. He sighed.

"Not by himself, no. But once his friends show up, I'm gonna have a pretty hard time fightin' all of them off. There's just no way a guy like me can handle all of them in a gunfight."

"So...What are you going to do?" Alessa asked carefully. Ringo shrugged.

"Gonna lay low as long as I can, so long as the rest of the town don't throw me to the wolves." He sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples as he leaned against the counter. "There's just no way I can handle all of this on my own." Alessa felt a bit bad for the man. It seemed he was really at wits' end. She wanted to help, but knew she needed more information first. She needed to assess just how much of a threat these Powder Gangers were.

"So...Why are the Powder Gangers after you, anyway?" She asked. Ringo looked away, and she could tell she hit a nerve.

"My caravan was on a return trip from California." He began. "On our way back to the Mojave branch of the Crimson Caravan Trading Company, we got jumped by Cobb and his boys. Not even a "Drop your weapons, and hands up!" before the bullets started to fly. My boys and I put up a good fight, but...There were just too many of them."

"That's awful." Alessa said, a little shocked by what she'd just heard. Ringo shrugged.

"It's a risk you run when carrying supplies through the Wastes. Still hurts, though, and not just my pride." He laughed hollowly. "I took a few of the Powder Gangers out before I turned tail and ran. Guess that's why they followed me. Lookin' to get revenge for their brothers, I guess."

"Do you think they'd just move on if you keep hiding?" Alessa asked, hopeful. Ringo shook his head.

"I seriously doubt that. From what I hear, when Powder Gangers want somethin' bad enough, they'll get it, no matter how many innocent people have to die. And they already know I'm here. It's just a matter of me standing up, or them storming in here and killing me themselves. I don't see a way for this situation to resolve itself peacefully."

"Maybe I can help." Alessa asked, and Ringo looked up at her, as if not believing what he just heard.

"What'd you say?" He asked incredulously. Alessa frowned, trying to act tough.

"Well...I-It sounds like you need a hired gun. I'm available." Judging by the look Ringo was giving her, the tough act wasn't working very well.

"Sorry. You look as much like a mercenary as a Yao Guai looks like a teddy bear." Alessa had absolutely no idea what he meant by that, but assumed he didn't buy her tough-girl act.

"Well...Okay, you're right. I'm not a mercenary. But maybe I could round up the rest of the town. They've been threatened by the Powder Gangers, too. I'm sure they'll want to help you out." Ringo mulled the idea over in his head.

"Guess it couldn't hurt to try." He shrugged. "I'd start with Sunny Smiles. She's been friendlier than most in this town, and seems like she knows how to handle a gun." Alessa smiled.

"She'll be glad to help. I know it." She turned to the door, but Ringo stopped her.

"Hey," he started, and Alessa looked over her shoulder at him. "Why're you helping me, anyway? You don't even know who I am." Alessa just smiled.

"Maybe not. But...The people here didn't know who I was, either, but they saved my life. They don't know who you are, but they gave you a place to lie low. Good people still exist in the world. It's just hard to find them, that's all." Ringo was floored by her pseudo-speech.

"I..." He nodded. "Yeah. You've got a point. Well...Thanks, uh...I didn't catch your name." He realized.

"Alessa." She held out a hand. "Alessa Grant. I'm a courier for the Mojave Express. And I was shot in the head a week ago." Ringo's eyes widened at the story.

"And you're still kickin'? Maybe we do stand a chance, after all." He chuckled, shaking her hand. "Thanks, Alessa." She smiled in return.

"Don't mention it. I'll be right back." With that, she turned to leave the gas station, and headed to the Prospector Saloon.

* . * . * . * . * . *

Sunny Smiles had just kicked back and opened an ice cold bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla when the door to the bar opened, Alessa stepping inside. She smiled at the girl, gesturing to an empty seat at the table in front of her.

"Hi there." She greeted. "Stickin' around Goodsprings a while longer?" Alessa nodded, sitting down beside her, removing a bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla from her own pack, opening it up.

"Yeah. I...Talked to Ringo." Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"He still at the station?" She asked, lowering her voice. Alessa nodded.

"I'm...Going to help him fight off the Powder Gangers. He wanted me to ask you for help..." She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence.

"Say no more." Sunny said, suddenly determined. "I'm in." Alessa's eyes widened.

"Just like that? It could be really dangerous...Someone may get killed..." Sunny shook her head.

"I have a feeling we'll be facing Cobb and his boys eventually. I know his type. They say they'll leave us alone, but if they decide to come after Goodsprings, they'll roll right over this town. Turn it into ash if we resist. And they _will _come after the town eventually." Alessa gulped.

"I know they will. Ringo knows it, too. I think he feels kind of bad for bringing them here." Sunny shrugged.

"It ain't his fault. Cobb and the others like him are just scum. Ringo didn't make 'em that way, so he shouldn't feel sorry." She took a sip of Sarsaparilla, as did Alessa. "The three of us won't stand a chance against the group that's building." Sunny said seriously. "We need to find a way to get the whole town involved, or we'll never stand a chance." Alessa nodded.

"Right. But...How can we convince everyone to band up?" Sunny grinned.

"Trudy's got pull over everybody in this town. Start with her."

"Any advice on how to convince her? She didn't seem too happy with Ringo when I spoke to her." Sunny frowned now, thinking.

"Well...A silver tongue would help." Alessa cringed. That was something she wasn't gifted with, unfortunately. "But a plan would be even better. Trudy likes people who know what they're doing, who aren't just screwin' around." Alessa nodded.

"Okay, I'll talk to her. Any other advice?"

"Well...I know Ol' Easy Pete has a stash of dynamite somewhere, but he's pretty protective of it. You'd have to convince him you know a thing or two about explosives, or he's likely not to give it up. And I know Chet got some supplies recently. He probably has armor he could give to the town, if the word "give" was in his vocabulary. You'll probably have to barter with him." Alessa sighed.

"I'm no good at bartering...But...I did find a magazine about explosives. Maybe it'll have an article about dynamite." Sunny nodded.

"Well, it's a start. If you could talk to Doc Mitchell, too, it'd help. He might have spare medical supplies that could really help us out, considering someone's bound to get hurt." Alessa nodded.

"Okay. Leave everything to me." She stood, finishing her Sarsaparilla, and tossed the bottle in a wastebasket near the door, heading to the bar.

"So, you're back. Anything I can get you?" Trudy asked as Alessa sat down.

"No, thank you, ma'am. But there's an important manner to discuss. Sunny, Ringo and I...We're going to try and scare off Joe Cobb." Trudy's brow furrowed.

"So," she said, "You're plannin' on takin' on Joe Cobb's gang? You're crazier than you look." She shook her head. "But, I suppose you gotta do what you think is right." Alessa forced a smile.

"Ringo and I owe our lives to this town. I don't want to see it get taken over by thugs. But...Um...Well, we're a little outnumbered as it stands. We were hoping, um..." She stumbled over her words. "Maybe...You could help? Please?" Trudy raised an eyebrow.

"All the more reason for me to sit this one out, from the sound of it. I'll root for you from here, though." Alessa frowned, standing now, and moved to the windows, observing the area outside. There were plenty of good hiding spots: Behind a cart in front of the Saloon, behind a bunch of crates in front of the General Store, and the alleyway between the buildings were a good start. She turned back to Trudy.

"There's plenty of places near the Saloon and the Store that are good spots to stage an ambush," She said, having already calculated the possibility of a successful coup. "But we need bodies to man those spots, and we don't have enough right now." Trudy mulled the thought over in her head, and nodded.

"You certainly sound like you know what you're doin'. Count me in." Alessa smiled brightly at this.

"Think you can round up the other members of the town?" Trudy smiled.

"I think I can have a few words with people. But we'll need some more stuff to keep us alive. Everyone in town may own a gun, but without armor, we're sittin' Brahmin."

"I know. I was going to try and talk to Chet, and see if he'd give his supply of armor to the town." Trudy scoffed.

"That man's got caps for eyeballs. Even if the town was burnin' down around him, he'd still make you barter with him. Although, he is quite susceptible to the charms of a lovely lady." Alessa's cheeks flushed.

"I...Uh...I mean...I guess, if it's for the town...M-Maybe I could, um...Er...T-Try to...To sweet talk him..." She shuddered at the idea, as if the very thought disgusted her. Trudy chuckled a bit.

"I was kiddin' about that part, although it'd probably work. But I wouldn't make you do that. Do whatever you have to, but if he doesn't budge, we'll get by without him." Alessa gulped, and nodded.

"Okay...Well...I guess I'd better round up the rest of the town." Trudy nodded.

"Focus on Chet, Pete, and Mitchell for now. I'll worry about the others." Alessa nodded, but her eyes brightened as a thought crossed her mind...Victor! If the Powder Gangers saw a massive robot barreling towards them, they'd probably run with their tails between their legs.

"Oh! What about Victor?" Trudy raised an eyebrow, confused. "You know, the robot that found me?" Alessa asked. Trudy scoffed again.

"That ol' thing's been around since before I set up shop here. Some say his owner lived here, but nobody knows who it was...I'd be careful around him, if I was you." Alessa seemed confused, and Trudy continued. "It's never taken to helpin' anyone before. All it really does is roll around town once in a while. I dunno why it took such an interest in you, but I don't trust it." Alessa frowned a bit.

"You...Don't like him?" She asked. Trudy crossed her arms.

"It acts friendly, but I don't trust that whole "cheerful cowboy" act. Be honest, I find it very creepy."

"Well, _he _saved my life." Alessa put emphasis on the word "he," which surprised Trudy a bit. "Besides, I bet the Powder Gangers would be surrendering in no time if they saw him speeding towards them."

"I suppose, but like I said, I wouldn't put too much faith in that robot." Alessa shrugged, and got up again.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt, right? I'll be back." She soon moved to the door of the Saloon, pushing it open. Outside, on some old chairs, sat an older gentleman she hadn't seen before. He had cloud-white hair and dark skin, and wore similar attire to most of the residents of Goodsprings, with the addition of a rawhide cowboy hat on his head.

"Howdy," he greeted when he noticed Alessa looking in his direction. "What can Easy Pete do ya for?"

"You're Easy Pete?" He nodded. "Well...What do you know about Joe Cobb?" She asked. He frowned.

"Bad trouble." He said simply.

"That's...Helpful?" She replied, for lack of better words.

"Welcome." He said, although she didn't exactly tell him "thanks." She shook her head.

"Well...Some of us are gathering to push his group out of Goodsprings." Pete nodded.

"Sounds like a plan. They been nothin' but a plague to us good, honest folk. Be nice to go back to peaceful nights without havin' to have our guns too close." Alessa nodded.

"My thoughts exactly. And Sunny mentioned you have dynamite-" Pete cut her off there.

"Woooah, now, don't get too ahead of yerself. It's too dangerous. You'll blow yourselves up if I let you touch it. Better to leave it buried. Safer that way." He nodded. Alessa thought back to the magazine.

"Well...I'm familiar with the care and handling of explosives." She said matter-of-factly, hoping the facade would work. "Dynamite included." Pete seemed to be staring into the depths of her soul, but eventually gave way.

"Uh huh. Guess if you know what you're doin', I'll go dig it up and get it ready." The older gentleman rose to a stand. "You'll have it by the time the fightin' starts." Alessa smiled, amazed that her trick worked.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me...A-And the rest of the town, too. Say, while we're here...Do you know anything about Victor?" Pete nodded.

"The machine, y'mean?" Alessa nodded. "Harmless, no matter what Trudy says. She thinks it's hiding somethin'. Me? I think it's just a broken-down relic, with no place to be. This place is the only home it knows, so I'm thinkin' it won't be hard to get him to help out." Alessa smiled even brighter.

"My thoughts, exactly. Um...Do you know where he is?" Pete nodded, pointing down the road.

"Just follow the main street down a ways. You'll find him by the old shack. Can't miss it. Place looks older'n half the buildings here."

"Thanks." Alessa began to head out. "Please hurry. I don't know how much time we'll have before the Powder Gangers show up." Pete nodded.

"You got my word. You'll have those 'splosives by the time they show." Alessa smiled, reassured, and hurried off to find Victor. The robot was standing, as Pete predicted, by an old shack with a pre-War flag hanging on the door.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Howdy, Pardner!" Victor called, spotting her. "What d'you need?"

"Are you decent in a fight?" Alessa asked. "There may be a scuffle in town soon, and we could use all the firepower we can get." Victor's cowboy-face-monitor turned serious for a moment.

"Trouble with rustlers, huh? You can count me in, Pardner. Those varmints'll be runnin' home with their tails between their legs soon enough." Alessa smiled, and Victor's monitor-face cheered at the sight.

"Thanks, Victor. You're the best." She wanted to hug the robot.

"Aw, shucks, it's no trouble."

"Say, does anyone live in this shack?" She asked.

"Nope. Not that I remember, anyways."

"Maybe I could use it to store some of my stuff." Victor nodded.

"Fine with me. I'll keep watch out front. Keep ruffians outta your belongin's." She smiled, the urge to hug the robot growing stronger.

"Thanks, Victor."

"No problemo, Pardner. Now, you better get your things settled. No tellin' when them ruffians'll show." Alessa nodded in agreement.

"Right. I'll come get you when we're ready."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Doc Mitchell?" The older gentleman turned from his seat, having just sat down and cracked open a pre-War novel for what seemed like the millionth time in his life.

"Well, now. Welcome back. I didn't think I'd be seein' you again so soon. What's the occasion?" Mitchell asked, folding an already well-used corner of the page he was on, and set his book down.

"The town's going to be attacked by bandits." She stated seriously. "They'll be using explosives. We're going to need supplies, if you can spare them." Mitchell frowned.

"Seems like wherever I go, it's always the same. Folks just never seem to leave each other alone." He shook his head. "I ain't much good in a fight, what with my bum leg. And my supplies're scarce, but I have a few I can spare. It ain't much, but it'll do more good out there than it will in here." He got up, gathering a sack half-full of Stims, Doctor's Bags, and even some Med-X. "Take what I got." Alessa smiled.

"Thank you, Doc Mitchell. These supplies will save plenty of lives." Mitchell smiled in return.

"That's what I'm here for. No need to thank me. Find me when the fightin's over, and I'll help however I can." Alessa nodded.

"Will do." With that, she left to finish the last (and perhaps hardest) task left to her: Reason with Chet.

* . * . * . * . * . *

By the time Alessa had mustered up enough courage to step into Chet's store by herself, it was already eleven at night, according to her Pip-Boy. The man had just been getting ready for bed when he heard the door open. He stumbled out, wearing well-used pre-War nightclothes.

"Oh, it's you." His grumpy, annoyed at being interrupted attitude faded at the sight of the pretty Courier that had come in with Sunny that afternoon. "Lookin' to buy some supplies?"

"Um, not exactly..." Alessa shuffled her feet nervously after making her way to the counter. "The, um...The town's going to be attacked by bandits." His face turned serious.

"That sounds bad."

"It is. Sunny mentioned you got a shipment of leather armor, and we could really use it..." She trailed off as dollar signs appeared in the older male's eyes.

"Now, hold on. I didn't agree to standin' up to those bullies. That's a 1,000 cap investment we're talking about." Alessa's eyes widened and she nearly fell backwards at the price he proposed. She didn't even have 100 caps.

"Th-That's insane!" She cried. "I don't have anywhere near that amount..." Chet merely shrugged.

"Well, then, I guess we have nothing further to discuss." The man's nonchalant attitude annoyed her, especially since his very own hometown was at stake.

"If we lose to the Powder Gangers, they're going to overrun your store, and there's no way you can fend them off with a shotgun by yourself!" She shouted, angry at his attitude. "They'll take your supplies, and burn your store, and probably burn you alive in it while they're at it! Would you prefer that route? Because I wouldn't, and neither would the rest of the town!" Chet gulped at Alessa's sudden change in attitude. It actually frightened him a bit. Although she was considerably shorter than he was (she was about 5'2" at the most, and he was 5'11"), she looked like she wasn't afraid to throw him across the room at this very moment.

"I, uh...I see your point. But still, these supplies cost a lot of caps..."

"And what about your sister, Cindy?" Alessa recalled the young blonde she and Sunny had rescued. "She was attacked by Geckos at the water source earlier today. She couldn't hold her own against a bunch of thugs, I'm sure. Just imagine, for one second, what they could do to her. What they could do to the rest of the town!" The images that popped into Chet's head were less than savory, and he shuddered at the thought of the terrible fate that could await his little sister.

"Okay, okay, I get it! You can have the supplies. Just tell everybody to get in here. While the fightin's goin' on, Cindy and I will stay in here. Gotta have someone protectin' the store." Alessa frowned further at his answer, and he gulped again. "I, uh...I gotta put my business first. Y-You understand...Right?" Alessa understood completely. Chet was gutless, cowardly. But at least he surrendered his armor.

"I believe our discussion is over." The girl replied. Chet nodded.

"Oh, uh...I got some spare ammo, too..." Alessa turned to leave the store.

"We could use it. Now, if you'll excuse me, sir, I need to tie up some loose ends."

"I won't keep ya." Chet said quickly, and Alessa left the store, amazed at her own change of persona when dealing with the man. Perhaps, somewhere deep inside herself, there was inner strength left untapped. She made her way back up the hill to the gas station, after paying a quick visit to the bar to let Sunny and Trudy know that the work had been done. Some of the town's citizens had already gathered at the Saloon, and the sight eased Alessa's concerns further.

"I talked to Sunny, Trudy, and Easy Pete. The town's on our side." Alessa announced as she entered the gas station. Ringo smiled, looking more relieved than he had before.

"That's great news. When's it all gonna go down, then?" Alessa was about to reply, when Sunny came up behind her, looking grave.

"Right now." The woman answered, and Alessa turned, surprised. "The Powder Gangers are here, and they're making their way towards the Saloon as we speak." Alessa's eyes widened, her mind instantly going to work. She needed to calculate...

"How many are there?" She asked quickly.

"Six, I think. Cobb included." Sunny answered.

"Not too bad, we can handle them." Alessa nodded, relieved at what seemed like a small number to her. "Where's Trudy, and the others?"

"Already takin' cover near the Store and the Saloon."

"Excellent. The Powder Gangers won't know what hit them."

"Let's go!" Ringo surged forward, with renewed vigor, pushing past the two girls. Sunny followed, and Alessa watched the two for a moment, before gathering her wits again, removing her Laser Pistol from its holster, charging down the hill after them.


	5. Chapter Four: The Calm After the Storm

Sunny, Ringo and Alessa quickly made their way down the hill from the Goodsprings Gas Station towards the General Store and Saloon. There was already a decent gathering of folk there. Counting Sunny, Alessa, and Ringo, there were seven people altogether. Trudy and another man hid behind some tall boxes in front of the Store, Easy Pete was positioned behind an old wooden cart, and the last man, who Alessa recognized as a usual bar patron, was crouched in the alley between the stores. She took a position beside Trudy, and peered around the boxes, looking down the main road leading out of the town. She could see Cobb easily, and the other five men that accompanied him. They were approaching fast. Alessa looked to Trudy.

"Have Cindy and the others who don't want to take part in the fighting holed up in the General Store?" She asked. Trudy nodded.

"Chet's got his shotgun ready," she replied. "In case anything goes wrong. Mitchell's in there, too, so he can be close when the fighting's over."

"Seems like everyone's here." Alessa looked around, just to make sure, but realized one fighter was missing. "Wait, where's Victor?"

"The robot?" Trudy asked. "I ain't seen him." Alessa frowned.

"He said he'd be here..." She was worried. Where had Victor gone?

"Look out!" Ringo cried from his position in the alley as a stick of dynamite sailed towards the boxes Trudy, Alessa and the other citizen were hiding behind. The three quickly scrambled out of the way before the dynamite exploded. Alessa growled.

"We'll have to make do without him! Everyone, open fire!" She cried, and gunshots soon rang out. The normally quiet town was alive with gunfire and explosions. Easy Pete and the Powder Gangers were the source of most of the explosions. It didn't take long for two of the Powder Gangers to fall, thanks to Easy Pete's throwing arm. Alessa looked around, not seeing Cobb. That worried her.

"Shit. Where is he?" She asked to herself, looking around. She saw a shadow moving behind the Saloon and Store. Was he trying to get into the store? She quickly burst from her hiding spot, narrowly dodging bullets. When she got around the back of the store, she heard a grunt of pain, and looked to see Cobb, with his back facing Alessa, standing over Ringo, who was on the ground. Cobb smirked, one of his feet pressing on the downed man's chest, leaning down to glare at him, a .357 magnum pressed to Ringo's temple.

"Thought you could get away, huh?" Cobb hissed. "Think you clever for gettin' these country bumpkins to rally against me, huh?" Ringo coughed, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth, spitting at Cobb.

"You ain't gonna win. You're outnumbered." He grunted, breathing a bit heavily. Cobb merely smirked.

"Bullshit. We got the firepower. Once I kill you, all your little friends are next. That one chick, the hottie in leather, with the red hair...I wonder if she's a virgin?" Cobb laughed at Ringo's shocked expression when he mentioned Sunny. Alessa had heard enough.

"Over my dead body!" She shouted from behind him, aiming her 10mm at Cobb's head. One shot was all she needed. He turned, not expecting to see her behind him, and was met with a bullet between the eyes. He stumbled back a step or two, before crumpling to the dirt beside Ringo. Ringo looked from Cobb, to Alessa, then back to Cobb again before Alessa moved forward, helping him off the ground.

"I owe you for this." Ringo said, looking into Alessa's eyes. She merely smiled.

"Don't worry about it. Last I checked, there's still three guys we need to worry about. Let's get back to the fighting." Ringo nodded, and followed the girl. By the time they'd gotten back, the last Powder Ganger had been shot by Sunny Smiles, crumpling to the ground with a groan of pain. Alessa looked around, assessing the damage. The cart in front of the Saloon and the boxes in front of the General Store were nothing but splinters, and Alessa saw that Trudy had been shot in the leg, Sunny had a bullet wound in her left shoulder, and at least one man was laying on the ground, presumably dead. Alessa cursed, rushing to the man on the ground to be sure. She checked his pulse, met with nothing. She bowed her head.

"Damn it," She cursed. "Should've gotten back here faster." She murmered, noticing the man's eyes were still open, and closed them with the palm of her hand. Pete came out of the General Store with the rest of the townspeople, Chet included, and Doc Mitchell moved over to the Saloon with Trudy, Sunny, and another remaining Goodsprings settler to assess their wounds. Alessa turned to Ringo, who had a smile on his face, and a small satchel in his hand.

"I really do owe you one for this." He said gratefully. "These are technically Crimson Caravan funds. Didn't know if it was right for me to give 'em away, but after what you done for me...You deserve a hell of a lot more than this." Alessa took the satchel, and looked inside, her eyes widening at the sight. There was a grand total of 100 caps inside the satchel.

"Ringo...I...You don't have to pay me, really." She said hurriedly. "I can't accept this." Ringo shook his head.

"Please. I insist. The Caravan'll understand once I explain things."

"If you're certain..." Alessa poured the caps into the satchel she already had attached to her belt. It was much heavier now than it had been, and it felt good to know she had some money. "What will you do now?" Alessa asked. Ringo shrugged.

"I'll stay in town for a few more days, but after that, I'm headed back to New Vegas. If you're ever in the area, look me up at the Crimson Caravan's headquarters there."

"Will do." Alessa smiled. "Good luck to you, Ringo." She held out a hand, which he accepted, shaking it.

"I won't forget this." He replied. "Thank you."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Well, howdy, Pardner!" Victor's cheery, robotic voice rang out as Alessa approached the worn-down shack he guarded. "So, when do the rustlers show up?" He asked. Alessa looked at him in disbelief.

"Didn't you hear all the gunfire?" She asked. "They were already here." Victor's cowboy-face flickered into a frowning one.

"Really? I didn't hear a thing. Guess I musta dozed off for a minute." Alessa frowned. That didn't sound right to her, considering robots didn't "sleep" unless someone ordered them to.

"Perhaps there's data corruption in your memory chips." She said, moving behind him to open the panel where his chips should have been. "Let me have a look."

"Well, alright." Victor said nervously. "Just put everthin' back the way you found it!" Alessa studied the chips and memory banks, finding a code.

"Hmm...It seems someone sent you a remote signal. Does the code "Override Command 16-Delta" mean anything to you?" She asked. Victor looked puzzled.

"Never heard of it."

"Figures." Alessa muttered. "It seems someone shut you down deliberately, but there's no record of who."

"I truly am sorry I couldn't be of help to ya, Pardner." Victor did sound genuinely sorry. "Anythin' else I can do ya for?" Alessa shook her head.

"No, I think that'll do." She replaced his casing, and entered the cabin. "I need to rest. Keep watch, okay?"

"Will do, Pardner."

* . * . * . * . * . *

After about five hours of sleep and dropping whatever she didn't need, Alessa exited the shack, greeted by bright sunlight. The town was quiet again, and as she walked up the main street and headed towards the Saloon, she noted that the bodies and debris had been quickly cleaned up. She smiled at Easy Pete, who sat in front of the Saloon, and thanked him for his help before entering the building.

"There's the hero of the hour." Sunny Smiles announced as Alessa approached the bar, the girl smiling at her, Trudy, and Ringo.

"Please. If the town hadn't banded together, there was no way I or Ringo could've taken on the Powder Gangers." She sat down at the bar, and Trudy set a bottle of Sarsaparilla in front of her.

"Here, it's on the house. Least we can do, after what you done for us." Alessa opened the bottle, taking a sip.

"Mm...Thank you." She set the bottle down. "Now, I need some answers. Do any of you know anything about the men who attacked me?" Sunny thought for a moment, before looking to Trudy.

"They were in here that night, weren't they?" Trudy scoffed.

"Yeah, they were. I don't know too much about 'em, except that they were a buncha freeloaders who expected a round of drinks on the house. I managed to get 'em to pay up, but not before one of the thugs that guy in the suit was with "accidentally" knocked my radio to the floor. Damn thing hasn't been workin' since."

"I see...I could take a look at it, if you want." Alessa offered.

"That'd be nice. Be worth a few caps to me." Alessa moved behind the bar, examining the radio.

"Hmm...Here's the problem. Looks like something got knocked loose." She fixed it in about five minutes. Trudy was impressed as the radio turned right back on.

"Well, now. Looks like you had some tech experience before you got your eggs scrambled." She handed a sum of seventy-five caps to Alessa.

"This seems like a bit much for that little bit of work, Trudy." She said, surprised at the hefty number of caps. Trudy shrugged.

"I never know what to pay for stuff like that. Didn't want you to think I was cheap, or anything." She chuckled, and Alessa smiled.

"Well, thanks. Now, did my attackers say where they were going?"

"Well, they were havin' some kinda argument about it, but that guy in the checkered suit kept shushin' 'em. Sounded like they came through Quarry Junction, up north, to get here. If that's the case, I don't blame 'em for not wantin' to go back."

"Me either," Sunny piped up. "Up there, you got the kindsa critters that just get mad if you shoot 'em up too much."

"Anyway," Trudy continued. "Merchants avoid that whole stretch of I-15 like it's radioactive." She shrugged. "Which it could be, for all I know. I never been up there, m'self."

"Um...You still haven't mentioned where they were headed." Alessa reminded Trudy politely, and the woman smacked her own forehead.

"There I go, ramblin' on again. I must be gettin' old." She shook her head. "Anyway, I think they headed south through Primm. They were headed to the Strip, from what the guy in the suit said. Have to head east to take 93 up. Easiest way to get there is to go through Primm."

"Thanks, Trudy." Alessa looked to Sunny. "How do I get to Primm?"

"Just take the main road south out of Goodsprings, and go East. You can't miss it. Got this ancient, old wooden roller coaster through the town." Sunny explained. Alessa's eyes widened.

"That sounds amazing."

"It's quite a sight." Sunny said, smiling. "Be careful, though. Powder Gangers might've headed there, too. I heard somethin' about NCR being there to try and clean out the town."

"NCR?" Alessa asked, confused.

"New California Republic." Trudy answered. "Buncha soldiers from California who are trying to clean up the Mojave. Not a lot of people care for them much, but they keep us safe, so I've got no problem with them."

"There's another group, too, that you gotta watch for." Sunny piped up. "Got themselves a funny name. Caesar's Legion, I think they're called." Trudy made a face.

"I heard of them. Run around dressed as Roman soldiers, but really, they're no better than Raiders. I hear they got real nasty ways of killin' folk." Sunny shrugged.

"Could be stories the NCR cooked up to make people welcome their presence a little more." Alessa listened to the stories intently.

"Are they enemies?" She asked. Sunny nodded.

"Oh, yeah. They get along about as well as a Deathclaw and a Bighorner would." Sunny replied. Seeing Alessa's confused look, she elaborated.

"See, they both wanna take over the Mojave. To do that, they gotta have control of Hoover Dam, which supplies water to the whole Mojave area. There was a big battle a few years ago. NCR pushed the Legion away from the Dam, but the Legion hasn't backed down yet. They're east of the river, bidin' their time."

"So, whoever gets control of the Dam will pretty much rule the Mojave?" Alessa asked. Sunny nodded gravely.

"I don't like the NCR much, but after hearin' stories about the Legion, I think I'd rather have them control the land."

"Me, too." Trudy agreed.

"Me three!" Ringo piped up from his seat at a booth, having been keeping quiet the whole time. "Although, I hear Caravaneers marked by the Legion are the safest around. Nobody messes with a Legion caravan. But, they're real tyrants, from what I hear. It's like walkin' on eggshells around them. Can't do anything they don't like, or they string you to a cross." He paused, taking a sip from an open bottle of Whiskey. "Besides, the Crimson Caravan is based in California. If Caesar took over, we'd probably just get pushed out of here."

"They sound like bad news." Alessa deducted from the stories. "I'll have to keep my eyes open." She slowly rose, stretching her limbs.

"Well...I suppose I'd best get going."

"If you ever feel like heading back this way, you're always welcome." Trudy held out a hand, and Alessa shook it. "Good luck to you."

"Thanks, everyone." Alessa smiled, and turned to exit the bar. After briefly stopping at Chet's store to pick up some more ammo, she was ready to begin her journey. She began to walk down the main road, wondering where her travels would take her, a little excited and a little scared at the same time.


	6. Chapter Five: Of Robots and Gangsters

_Author's Note: Sorry if the past couple of chapters have seemed a bit boring, and I apologize if this one seems a little boring, too. It gets more exciting, don't worry! Minor spoiler, the journey to Novac will be especially entertaining to some. But that won't happen for quite some time. For now, enjoy the next couple of chapters centering around Primm!_

* * *

><p>"Damn it all." The young Courier cursed as she holstered her Laser Pistol, staring down at the body of a young man. She didn't want to kill him, but he'd tricked her into braving an entire pack of Geckos, just so he could get to a stash of supplies on a cliff. He attempted to kill her, but she was too quick. Now she was down to one full clip in her 10mm from all the shooting she'd had to do, so she'd switched to her Laser Pistol. She honestly preferred using it. Just one clip provided her with thirty shots, while her 10mm only held a clip of twelve. The fact that the weapon had a tendency to turn enemies into piles of ash also helped. Out of all of her weapons (she had been presented with a worn-out 9mm submachine gun from Doc Mitchell before leaving town, and also had a .357 Magnum revolver that she'd looted from Joe Cobb's body), the Laser Pistol was easily her favorite.<p>

She made her way up to the cliff where the supplies were, finding a corpse among a mattress, ammunition box, and a refrigerator. She checked the body, finding thirteen caps, but no useful supplies. The ammunition box held, to her relief, another clip of 10mm ammunition and even a 10mm pistol.

"Good," she said aloud to herself. "I can repair mine with this, if I ever need to." She placed the ammo and the spare pistol in her pack, before making her way up to the fridge. After disarming another trap, she opened the fridge to find some old fruit, a bottle of Whiskey, and a bowl of stew that smelled as though it had been in there for weeks. She only took the whiskey, closing the door quickly after being assaulted by the smell of the rotting food. She descended back down the hill, and eventually found her way back to the main road.

"Okay...Follow this road south, then head east. Shouldn't be too difficult." She commented to herself as her feet touched the worn pavement. She began to walk, and after walking about a mile, she began to hear growling. She drew her Laser Pistol, looking around warily, before seeing a Coyote not more than a yard or so west from her position. Upon further inspection, she noticed the Coyote's left leg was caught in a bear trap. She felt bad for the animal, and cautiously made her way forward. It growled as soon as it saw her, and snapped its jaws threateningly.

"I won't hurt you." Alessa said calmly, moving towards it slowly, holstering her weapon. Once close enough, she attempted to disarm the bear trap. It didn't take long at all to free the animal, which limped a foot away from the trap, then fell onto the ground, as though giving up. She frowned, moving over to it. Its leg was badly mangled from the trap, and it looked as though it had lost quite a bit of blood.

"Even a Stimpak won't save you, huh? Poor thing." She said solemnly, genuinely feeling bad for the creature. It merely looked at her, then looked blankly ahead of it, breathing slowly. Alessa removed her magnum, aiming for the coyote's head, and pulled the trigger. The shot hit its mark, putting the creature out of its misery. She sighed, holstering her weapon again, and continued on her way.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Dammit!" Alessa cursed, limping behind a large rock, holding her now injured leg. As her luck (or lack thereof) would have it, she ran into a group of Powder Gangers. They managed to hit her twice in the leg, but she took one of them down. There were at least three left. She bit her lower lip as she removed a Stimpak from her bag, stabbing the needle into her leg, hissing at the brief pain. Her wounds would slowly heal, the bullet casings simply being pushed out of her body. She sighed in relief as the pain slowly faded, and stood quickly, aiming her pistol in the direction of the men. She was surprised to find that they were already dead, a hulking, boxy figure wheeling towards her. It could only be one thing.

"You need to be careful!" Victor called to her. "It's dangerous out here!"

"Victor?" Alessa was surprised. She'd thought the robot was back in Goodsprings. "How did you know I was in trouble?" She asked.

"Heck, I can smell trouble a mile away." She could swear his monitor flickered to a winking cowboy face. She smiled, resting her hands on her hips.

"Some trick without a nose." She joked. Victor chuckled.

"Heh. I like you, Friend. I mention that?"

"No, but it's nice to know someone's watching out for me." Victor smiled.

"Well'p, I'd better get back to m'post. I'll seeya around, Buckaroo." Alessa smiled in return.

"See you, Victor." The robot wheeled off back towards Goodsprings, and Alessa continued on her way.

* . * . * . * . * . *

After getting attacked by at least ten Geckos along the way, Alessa sighed in relief as she spotted what looked to be a military outpost. A flag flew on an old pole, a white flag with a picture of a two-headed bear. She was in the midst of questioning the significance of such an image when a man began to head in her direction. He was clad in simple brown fatigues. She wondered if he was NCR.

"Hey, where do you think you're goin'?" The man asked sternly. "Primm is off limits." Alessa frowned at this news.

"What's happening in Primm?" She asked.

"A bunch of convicts from the prison up the road have overrun the town. We believe most, if not all of the inhabitants are dead or in hiding."

"Well," Alessa replied. "I'm a Courier for the Mojave Express, and I need to get to their headquarters here. I'm not asking that someone accompany me into the town, but I'm also not just going to stand here." She crossed her arms. "And shouldn't you be protecting the town?"

"Primm isn't part of our jurisdiction." The soldier replied. "If you have an issue with how we're handling things, you can talk to Lieutenant Hayes. He's in the big tent back there." The soldier pointed a few yards behind him to a camp area, where a few other soldiers sat.

"I think I will do just that." Alessa soon began to head towards the camp, looking around. The soldiers there looked exhausted. They must have been there for quite a while, she reasoned. As she approached the campsite, she noticed one soldier leaning against a wooden blockade. She approached him slowly.

"Excuse me." She asked, and he looked up.

"Hm?" The man seemed tired, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Yes. I'm Sergeant McGee, NCR Army, 5th Battalion, First Company. Something I can do for you?"

"Yes." Alessa said in return. "A few things, actually. First, I need to know how to get to the Mojave Express headquarters. Second, I would like to speak to your commanding officer. A Lieutenant Hayes, I believe his name is?" McGee nodded, pointing her in the direction of a large tent, with a door made of flattened scrap metal.

"Lieutenant Hayes is in there. Now, about the Express...I don't recommend you go in there alone."

"Why's that?" She asked.

"Well, I dunno if you've heard, but there was a break-out in the prison a ways north of here. A large group of convicts from the prison came and took over the town. They're armed, and very dangerous." Alessa shrugged, crossing her arms as she leaned against another wooden blockade beside the one McGee was leaning on.

"Well, I don't know if -you've- heard, but the town of Goodsprings experienced something similar. I helped the inhabitants of the town fight off a group of these convicts. Besides, I need information from the man who runs the Mojave Express, and I need it now." She could tell McGee didn't buy her story, and she didn't entirely blame him. She didn't exactly look threatening, wearing glasses that made her eyes look like dinner plates, and clad in a slightly torn Vault suit with very simple armor attached.

"Well, don't say we didn't warn ya." McGee replied. "Go across the bridge around the corner there." he pointed towards the street a few yards northeast of their position. "Just be careful. We got mines set up to keep the convicts out."

"Right. Message received." She acknowledged, and got up. "Thank you for your help, Sergeant McGee. I'll be back." She headed towards the bridge, carefully avoiding the three frag mines that were set there, and made her way towards a large brick building with a large, neon sign on the side reading "Mojave Express."

She entered the building with her .357 revolver drawn, but found no one in the building. A dead body lay outside, with a delivery order similar to hers, which told her she wasn't the only one making strange deliveries to the Strip. The other man in question, a Daniel Wyand, had been ordered to deliver two oversized dice, composed of a strange, fuzzy material. His package was not on him, and she wondered if the delivery was successful. She closed the door behind her, examining the room she was in. There were three large mailboxes in the main room, and a counter in front of the door littered with junk, a wall of small mail slots behind it. A beat-up, round robot of sorts lay there with bits of scrap metal and a wrench. She decided she'd take a look at it after surveying the rest of the room. Behind the office was a small living quarters, with a dinner table, stove, fridge, a large bed with two nightstands, two wardrobes, and a footlocker at the foot of the bed. Someone lived here, but she didn't know who. Probably the owner of the Mojave Express, she reasoned. She turned back to the counter where the robot lay, looking it over. It had been damaged by some kind of explosion, judging by the burns its armor sustained. She soon set to work, opening it up to check the internals. All it really needed were a couple sensor modules and new electronics on the inside, and some scrap metal to fix the patches of plating that had been burned. She had the components, having scavenged them from an old motor home with radio equipment flooding it, and she knew she could get it running again. It would just take some time.

It took about three hours to get the robot's electronics and sensor modules hooked up, but once she connected the last wire, it suddenly sputtered to life. She jumped back in shock as it quickly floated into the air. It had various antennae that seemed to scan in all directions, and a strange horn on its "forehead." Under its faceplate was a strange gun, which she reasoned fired lasers. On its side was a piece of red metal, the letters "ED-E" printed in white.

"Edie, huh?" She commented absently, and the robot turned to face her, analyzing her. It floated a bit closer, circling her. She smiled.

"Alright, then. ED-E, Companion Protocol: Initiate. You're with me, now." The robot chirped in acknowledgement, and moved to her side. "Good. Now, float down here a bit. I need to reattach your casing." Once ED-E's casing had been reattached, Alessa wiped some sweat from her brow.

"Now then. Let's take care of business, shall we?" The robot chirped again, and Alessa exited the building, the little robot floating behind her.


	7. Chapter Six: The Bison Steve Incident

Author's Note: Sorry for the massive delay! Unfortunately, the computer I'm writing this on no longer gets internet access, so I haven't been able to update. Also, I was starting to lose inspiration. I was starting to get bored with Alessa. But I think my creative juices have started flowing again. My updates will be a little slow, but I assure you, they'll come along in time. Once again, I'm sorry for the wait.

* . * . * . * . * . *

As soon as Alessa stepped out of the Mojave Express headquarters, she was assaulted by gunfire. She ran behind the building and ducked down, assessing the situation. Two convicts had been waiting for her, probably attempting to ambush her. ED-E let out a loud tune from its horn, presumably to warn Alessa of the threat.

"ED-E!" She shouted. "Initiate combat protocols, stat!" The robot surged towards the convicts, firing off lasers at them. They were down in an instant. Alessa was thoroughly impressed, moving out from her hiding place to survey the scene. She moved over to the bodies of the convicts, looting them of their ammo and weapons, and even picking up some caps. She noted that they were standing between two large buildings, presumably casinos, or perhaps hotels. The one to the right was called the "Bison Steve," and had a large Bison on its sign. The other, which was a little less glitzy, was called "Vikki and Vance." She decided to take her chances, and entered the Vikki and Vance casino, her gun drawn and ED-E following close behind.

"Didn't think anybody'd be stupid enough to waltz in here." Alessa was greeted by an older gentleman with dark skin, black hair, and clad in a dirty white shirt and denim overalls. The man looked very tired, as if he hadn't slept in days. "Dunno what it was brought you to Primm, Youngster, but you'd do better gettin' out quick as y'can. Town's gone to hell." He lit up a cigarette, placing it in his mouth.

"Who are you?" Alessa asked.

"Johnson Nash's my name. Husband of Ruby Nash. Lived here goin' on eight years, now. I also run the Mojave Express." Alessa's eyes brightened at that news.

"I'm a Courier with the Mojave Express." Nash looked her over, nodding.

"Oh, yeah, I remember you. Grant, right? Alicia Grant?" Alessa's brow furrowed slightly.

"Er...It's Alessa, sir." She shook her head, removing her delivery order. "Can you tell me anything about this job?" Nash took the slip, reading it over.

"Oh, it's one of these jobs." He sighed. "These things had strange written all over, but couldn't turn down the caps." Alessa raised an eyebrow.

"What was so strange about it?" She asked.

"Well, some cowboy robot comes waltzin' in and orders six deliveries, one of 'em bein' yours." Alessa frowned at the mention of a cowboy robot, looking behind Nash, and seeing a Protectron with a cowboy hat.

"You mean that robot, there?" She asked, pointing to the robot. Nash shook his head.

"Naw, Primm Slimm's been here for years. This robot was bigger, had a face on a monitor and talked more like you or me." Alessa thought for a moment. The only other robots she'd seen so far were ED-E and Victor.

"I see...Well...What can you tell me about the deliveries?"

"Well, that robot had us hire six couriers, each carryin' somethin' different. Most of it was ol' pre-War novelty stuff. Fuzzy dice, that sorta thing. Yours was the only thing that looked valuable. Dunno why anybody'd fashion a poker chip outta platinum, but I seen stranger things in the Wastes." He scuffed his cigarette out on a table, dropping the butt. "Last I heard, payment had been received for all the jobs, except for yours. Mind tellin' me what happened?"

"I don't know too much, myself, sir." Alessa replied. "You see, on my way through Goodsprings, three men ambushed me, and one of them shot me. I have reason to believe they stole the package I was carrying. Because I was shot in the head," She gestured to the still-healing wounds behind bandages on her head. "I can't remember anything from before that night. All I could remember was my name, and the moments right before I was shot." Nash's brow furrowed as he heard the story.

"Sorry to hear it. Dunno why anybody'd do that to a nice young lady like you, but you got scumbags all over these days. Shouldn'tve been you who got shot up, though." Nash said irritably. Alessa raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, the first deadbeat we hired for your job cancelled on us." He spat at the floor angrily. "Hope a storm from the Divide skins him alive." He shook his head, and sighed. "Anyway, that's where you came in."

"Why did he cancel?" She asked.

"No idea. He saw your name on the list, and asked if you were for real. I said, well, sure as rain, you were still kickin'. He got this weird look in his eye, though, and he dropped the job. I asked if he was sure. It was good money. I didn't think anybody'd turn it down. But he insisted. "Let Courier Six carry the package." That's what he said, like the Mojave'd sort you out, or something." This news unsettled her. Could the man in the suit have been the other courier? She doubted it. He was too sophisticated.

"Do you know who he was?" She asked quickly. "Or where he went?" Nash shook his head.

"Not a clue. But it sounds like you two must've had some history for him to turn down the job." He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he thought your name was bad luck, or somethin'." Alessa sighed.

"Well...I need to find the men who stole my package." She looked up at him, determination in her eyes. "Have you seen any suspicious characters, specifically a man in a checkered suit?" Nash scratched at his chin, thinking.

"Hmm...Come to think of it, one of the Townies was scavenging for supplies. Said he saw a fella with a daisy suit pass by. Said he was talkin' about some kinda chip. As for finding out where he went, your best bet would be to talk to Deputy Beagle. But he's turned up missing."

"Where was he last seen?" She asked.

"Well...Last I knew he was skulkin' around the Bison Steve, gatherin' information on the convicts that came through here. Best bet would be to check there, make sure he's still alive."

"Alright, I'll do that." Alessa nodded to Nash. "Thank you for your help, sir."

"Thank you for riskin' your neck. Maybe you're what this town needs to get back up and runnin'." She smiled faintly.

"I'll find your deputy, then we can discuss the state of your town." Nash nodded in agreement.

"You'd best hurry. If Beagle is still alive, he won't be for long." Alessa nodded, and left the building, crossing the street to the Bison Steve Hotel.

* . * . * . * . * . *

The Bison Steve Hotel, as Alessa predicted, was swarming with convicts. She and ED-E had already taken down three men in the lobby before they even knew what was going on. Alessa crouched down behind a counter, ED-E's sensors picking up at least six more enemies in a room down the hall a ways, and one civilian. The civilian, Alessa figured, must have been Deputy Beagle. She carefully moved out into the hall, and hid in another room.

Looking around, Alessa reasoned it must have been some sort of gift shop before the war, when the hotel was in its prime. She moved behind the register counter, picking up stacks of Pre-War money, and a few caps, before spying a safe. It was barely hidden under some yellowed papers and a book, which she pocketed. She only had about seven bobby pins, and testing the lock with one, it snapped almost instantaneously. But Alessa was nothing if not determined, so she kept trying. After the fourth pin, she'd gotten about halfway to unlocking it before the fifth snapped. She whispered a swear, and kept going. She was soon on her last pin, and wondered if she should give up. But, her determination (and curiosity) won out. As luck would have it, the last pin was the one to open the safe. She stifled her excited yell as best she could, and looked at the treasure she'd uncovered.

She found a few stacks of Pre-War money, which she put in her sack, and also noticed something unusual. Six full clips of .357 Magnum ammunition, and a .357 Magnum revolver. But this revolver was unique. It had a white grip with a black four-leaf clover on it, and it looked as though it had hardly been used. Alessa studied it closely, amazed at her find. She removed the .357 she'd looted from Joe Cobb's body, comparing it to the beautiful weapon she'd just found. She decided to keep the old one, to use it for parts, and placed the "new" weapon, which she christened "Lucky" in her head, into the old weapon's holster. Now she was pretty well-equipped, her 10mm holstered on her left side, Lucky on her right, and a Laser Pistol holstered on her right thigh. Her pack was getting pretty heavy, though. She needed to unload it soon, or she'd never be able to lug it all the way to wherever she'd need to go. She discovered that ED-E had a storage compartment, but it was tiny, and probably would only be good for holding small things, like caps or ammunition.

She stepped out of the room, and glanced down the hall. No enemies in sight, but she knew she'd have to keep quiet, or someone was bound to spot her. She crouched again, sneaking down into what appeared to be some sort of lounge. On an endtable, she spotted an empty bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla, and a cap. She moved closer, and inspected the cap. It was different from the others, having a big blue star painted on the underside. She shrugged, and placed it in her money-satchel, thinking nothing of it. She spotted a blue door, and upon inspecting it, found it to be locked. She cursed, having run out of bobby pins trying to get into that damned safe. She'd have to find another way around. She opened up a map of the building on her PipBoy, seeing a large room, which she thought might have been a cafeteria of sorts. However, ED-E's sensors told her that the remaining enemies on this floor were in that room.

"Shit," She cursed. "How the hell am I supposed to get by them? Unless..." She remembered the Stealth Boy she'd picked up from Cobb's body, and a second one she'd looted from the old Goodsprings Schoolhouse before leaving town. She looked up at ED-E.

"Companion Protocol - Wait Here." ED-E replied with a series of small beeps, and floated in one spot, stationary. Alessa sighed, attempting to calm her nerves as she carefully placed her pack behind a chair, removed her two Stealth Boys, and fastened a Stealth Boy to her free arm, pressing the button to activate it. It worked, and she made her way to the cafeteria.

The room was swarming with convicts, one of them having a massive flamethrower strapped to his back. She cursed in her head, carefully maneuvering past the men, into an open door leading to the kitchen. There, bound in ropes, was a man who appeared to be in his late twenties, with messy blonde hair and blue eyes. She moved closer to him.

"Deputy Beagle, I presume?" She whispered, and he jumped.

"Wha? Who?" He asked, and she shushed him.

"Keep your voice down!" She hissed. "Do you want them to hear you? Anyway...Johnson Nash said you'd need a little help. Here." She began to untie him.

"I'm quite grateful for this," he said as she untied him, and she grabbed his hand as he tried to stand up.

"Don't. They'll see you. Here." She handed him the second Stealth Boy she'd been carrying. "Put this on, and press the button. It'll-"

"Make you invisible." Beagle cut her off. "I've seen one of these before." He did as he was told, soon invisible.

"Okay," Alessa said. "Now, hold onto my hand, and I'll lead you out of here. Stay close, and whatever you do, try not to bump into anyone." Beagle nodded, feeling around for Alessa, accidentally groping her chest. She lightly smacked him in return.

"Th-That's **not** my hand!" She hissed, blushing, although he couldn't see it.

"S-Sorry!" He yelped, finding her hand, and taking hold of it. Alessa soon moved into the main dining hall, and Beagle followed closely. The two carefully and quietly maneuvered around the thugs in the room, careful not to bump into them. Things were going well, and it seemed like they might get out unscathed...That is, until Beagle accidentally kicked an empty soda bottle. The bottle slid across the floor, lightly bumping into the foot of one of the convicts. Suddenly, every eye in the room was locked in their direction.

"The fuck was that?" The Convict carrying the flamethrower, which Alessa assumed was the leader of the gang, asked irritably.

"Hey, that nosy fuckin' Deputy's gone!" One of the others shouted. The Leader growled.

"Open fire in that direction!" The Leader shouted. Suddenly, a shower of bullets came at them, and the two quickly scurried behind an overturned table for cover.

"Nice going!" Alessa shouted.

"I didn't see it, I swear!" Beagle retorted.

"Whatever, pull out your gun!" Alessa removed Lucky from its holster, turning around and opening fire on the convicts, hitting one in the shoulder.

"W-What? Are you nuts? You can't take on that many guys by yourself!" Beagle shouted.

"That's why you're going to help me, unless you want me to shoot you myself!" Alessa sounded deadly serious, and Beagle gulped.

"Y-You've made your point. Alright!" He pulled out his gun, and opened fire as well. Within moments, the Convicts were down, except for the Leader. He was loading his flamethrower.

"Aim for the flamethrower!" Alessa shouted, beginning to shoot at it.

"B-But that'll..." Beagle started.

"Cause an explosion, and kill that Convict along with it!" Alessa interrupted, and after a few more shots, the flamethrower exploded, igniting the Convict Leader. He screamed in pain, flailing around for a few moments, before falling to the ground. Alessa sighed heavily. Just as the Convict fell, her Stealth Boy wore off. Beagle was surprised by her appearance. He wondered how a girl who looked like she lived her whole life in a Vault could've possibly been able to defend herself, and him, in such a manner. She smiled at him, relieved that they'd both survived to fight another day.

"Well...Now that that's over...I'm Alessa. Alessa Grant." She held out a hand, and he took it, shaking it.

"Beagle. Deputy Christopher Beagle. But...Everybody just calls me Beagle." Alessa nodded.

"I sort of gathered that when I talked to Nash." She stood, and Beagle flushed, standing as well.

"R-Right."

"Now," Alessa started, reloading Lucky. "I was told you'd have information that I need. I'm looking for two Great Khans and a man wearing a checkered suit. Nash told me you could tell me where they were." Alessa looked to him again, and he nodded, his Stealth Boy fading.

"Sure, since you saved my life, and all." He stood, rubbing his wrists. They were still sore from being bound. "Well, I was hidi-" He paused, clearing his throat, stopping himself from making himself look worse than he already did. "Er, doing some recon on the Powder Gangers, when I saw your friend and his lackeys."

"I assure you," Alessa said bitterly. "That man is _not _my friend. But, please continue." Beagle nodded.

"Well, they were talkin' about heading to Vegas through Novac, but didn't wanna go through Primm Pass, due to rumors of unsavory creatures lurkin' about there. It's the quickest way to Novac, but dangerous. Last I heard, they were gonna go south to Nipton, then head up to Novac from there." Alessa pondered the information.

"Alright. You said Primm Pass was the quickest way to Novac?" She asked, and Beagle nodded.

"But like I said, I hear there's a fearsome creature lurkin' there...A Deathclaw." Alessa gulped at that news. She'd heard of Deathclaws, but had never seen one in person. Not to her memory, anyway.

"Hmm. I guess it would be pretty dangerous." Alessa sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Not risking my neck like that just to get to that...I don't even know what to call him."

"You must have some agenda," Beagle said. "For you to chase him that far."

"He stole a package I was carrying." Alessa said flatly, moving her bangs aside to show the bullet wound on her forehead. Beagle's eyes widened at the sight. "And, he shot me. Twice. First was just for show, I guess."

"L-Let me get this straight." Beagle said, clearing his throat. "He shot you twice in the head, and you're still going after him?" He looked at Alessa like she was crazy, and maybe she was. She merely shrugged.

"One, I want revenge. Two, he stole a package from me that needs to be delivered to its rightful owner. I can't just let him get away with what he's done." She holstered Lucky. "Anyway...Thanks for the information. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Agreed." Beagle followed her, the two picking up ED-E and Alessa's things on the way out. Beagle wondered where this girl had come from, but wherever she'd come from, he was certainly glad she made it this far. Without her, he would've been dead, no question about it. The two exited the building, and made their way back to the Vikki and Vance Casino, walking in silence.


	8. Chapter Seven: Correcting The Convicts

"I don't know how you pulled that off, but I must thank you for gettin' our deputy out of deep water." Johnson Nash said in thanks to Alessa, after she proudly strode through the door with ED-E and Deputy Beagle trailing behind her. The girl smiled, flushing a bit at the praise.

"It was nothing I couldn't handle, sir. But if I'm not mistaken, we have more important matters to discuss." Her tone turned serious, and Nash sighed.

"I told ya already, I don't know anythin' about those thugs what shot you." He replied irritably. Alessa shook her head.

"I don't mean that. Beagle may be a deputy, but...Well, no offense, Beagle, you're really not equipped to defend this town." She shuffled her feet nervously, worrying that she might have offended the young man beside her. To her surprise, he chuckled in response.

"Don't I know it? Well, we've got few choices for Sheriffs around here. The others might not be too happy with one of the choices, but at this point we've gotta take what we can get." Alessa nodded, speaking up again.

"Okay. Which candidates do we have to choose from?"

"Well...If you were willing to stay around, I'd suggest you." Beagle replied, and caused Alessa to blush deeply.

"P-Please...Just because I rescued you doesn't make me a Sheriff. Besides...I...I have my own business to take care of." She trailed off, once again thinking of the man in the checkered suit. Beagle nodded.

"I understand. Which is why I won't name you as a candidate."

"There's the NCR down the road," Nash piped up. "But they haven't made any move to help us yet. I heard they were gonna take over the Correctional Facility, where all these convicts escaped from, but...Well, I dunno what the hold-up is."

"I'm guessing the NCR is the choice most people won't be happy with?" Alessa asked.

"You got it." Beagle replied. "People 'round here prefer to keep their business to themselves. Don't like the idea of a government that controls their every move."

"But the NCR won't control _everything_." Alessa interrupted. Personally, she hadn't had any issues with the NCR, and from what she'd heard, it sounded like they were just trying to bring some stability to the Wasteland, which she whole-heartedly supported. "Sure, they might bring in some laws and maybe a bit of taxing, but in the long run, isn't stability more important?" Seeing Nash and Beagle's incredulous looks, she sighed heavily. "A-Anyway...What are our other options?"

"I heard one of the convicts was a former Sheriff for a town somewhere west of here. Dunno how he got himself into this mess, but maybe you can get him out of it." Beagle gave Alessa a hopeful look, but the girl didn't like the idea of a convict running a town that already had a problem with other escaped convicts. She then remembered the robot with the Cowboy Hat, called Primm Slim.

"What about Primm Slim? Could he do the job?" Nash thought about it, "hmm"ing for a moment or so.

"Well, he's more of a novelty than anything. But if you can program him to act like a Sheriff, I guess he could do the job well enough. Personally, I agree with you on the NCR." Beagle gave Nash a surprised look, about to jump in when an older woman walked up, raising her hand to silence Beagle.

"For once, I agree with my husband." The woman spoke playfully, and Alessa realized she must have been Johnson's wife, Ruby. "The NCR may have a few rules some of us may not be happy with, but if they can get rid of these convicts, maybe this town can be the next New Vegas. Goin' south down the main road, you'll find their main outpost in these parts. Mojave Outpost, it's called." The woman smiled at Alessa. "Can't miss it. Might be able to talk to somebody there about our, er..."situation." Might be a good idea to talk to those boys down the road first, though." Alessa nodded, thanking Ruby for her information. After a few more moments (and a nice supper prepared by Mrs. Nash, herself), Alessa stepped out of the Bison Steve. It was now dark, but Alessa just wanted to get all of this finished. She knew the people of Primm couldn't hold out much longer against the Powder Gangers. She didn't want to hear about Primm being overrun by convicts. She headed down the road, towards the NCR camp she'd briefly visited on her way in, ED-E chirping behind her as the tiny robot continuously scanned for threats.

* . * . * . * . * . *

As she approached, McGee smiled faintly at the sight of her, waving.

"So, we meet again!" He said in greeting, and Alessa smiled in return.

"Yes. It seems so. You said your commanding officer was in the large tent over there, correct?" Alessa asked, and McGee nodded in return.

"Yeah. Just knock on the "door" first. He doesn't usually like bein' disturbed." Alessa kept that in mind as she walked over to the tent, knocking on the sheet of metal that served as a makeshift door. It was pulled aside by a young woman, perhaps a little older than Alessa was, wearing the standard NCR uniform.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked.

"I'd like to speak to your commander." Alessa said sternly. The woman nodded, stepping aside. Sitting at a table, looking bored, was the man Alessa assumed was the commanding officer for the NCR forces at Primm. He was older, probably in his thirties, good looking but tired looking. He glanced over to her, sighing.

"I'm Lieutenant James Hayes of the New California Republic Army, 5th Battalion, 1st Company. What's your business here?" The man sounded annoyed, but Alessa mustered up the courage to speak.

"Alessa Grant. Courier for the Mojave Express. I'd like to discuss the situation in Primm." Hayes shook his head.

"Look. We'd help the town if we had the men to spare, but right now we're in deep shit, ourselves." Alessa was surprised at the man's use of language, but he continued when met by her silence.

"Right now our primary goal is to contain the Powder Ganger threat. As you can see, we aren't doing a very good job."

"Clearly. Is there a problem with the mission?" Alessa asked.

"The mission isn't the problem." Hayes replied. "What we need are supplies, and more importantly, we need bodies. We don't have the manpower to occupy Primm and complete our primary objective at the same time." Alessa nodded.

"Then I'd like to help. If it means the protection of this town, I'll do anything." Hayes was surprised by Alessa's go-getter attitude. It was certainly rare among even soldiers.

"As much as I'd appreciate the help, NCR business is classified."

"I already know you plan on retaking the Correctional Facility. What I'm telling you is that I am willing to help make the attack."

"How'd you-?" He sighed in exasperation. "Damn that Johnson Nash. Knew he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Alright," He began, almost reluctantly. "I'll send you out with Sergeant Lee and his men. There aren't many of you, but at this point, we can't afford to wait any longer. He should be scouting the hills around the Correctional Facility. I'll radio ahead to let him know you're coming."

"You have my word, sir, that I will not rest until this mission is finished." Alessa headed out of the tent, and began the trek to the NCR Correctional Facility.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Hayes said he'd be sending someone." Alessa was greeted by a man who looked to be about the same age as Hayes, an Asian man with a wry smile on his face. She guessed this was Sergeant Lee. "I was expecting more troopers, not a mailman." Lee said playfully, causing Alessa to frown.

"I'm the best he can do." Lee nodded.

"No need to get upset. I was just joking." He turned his attention to the Correctional Facility. "Orders are to shoot anyone who attacks. We'll be blowing open the fence, there," He pointed to two men who were setting explosive charges on the barbed-wire fencing that surrounded the facility. "We rush in, take out the boss, and get out. Boss is some assbag named Eddie." Alessa giggled at the word "assbag."

"G-Got it." She composed herself, drawing her laser pistol, checking her ammo. "I'm ready, if you are." Lee smiled at her eagerness.

"Let's do this." Just as he finished his sentence, the explosive charges blew a hole in the fence, and Lee's men stormed in. Alessa followed, opening up on any convicts that came her way. One man managed to sneak up behind her and crack her in the back with a baseball bat, causing her to cry out, falling forward. She growled, turning, and firing at him. The lasers hit the man, and caused him to disintegrate into a pile of ash before he could even speak. Alessa gulped, amazed at the power of her pistol, and slowly got back up.

"You alright?" Lee shouted, having seen the spectacle.

"Fine!" Alessa called back. Once Lee's men had taken down the men outside (with one casualty), they headed for the administration building. Alessa stood with them.

"Alright. On the count of three, we bust in and take everyone out. 1...2..." Lee was unable to finish as one of the more excitable soldiers rushed in. "Dammit, Jones!" Lee cursed, and the others followed suit. Jones had been quickly dispatched by a man they assumed to be the Powder Gangers' medic. He was holed up in a room with two beds and some Doctors' Bags. Alessa took cover behind the desk in the opening room while Lee and his men went for the stairs leading up. Alessa peeked over the desk and fired at the medic, causing him to disintegrate. She soon rushed into the main room, only to find a firefight ensuing. Three Powder Gangers and one more NCR soldier had already been taken down. There was only three of the NCR soldiers left, not counting Alessa or Sergeant Lee. Alessa joined the fray, taking down one Powder Ganger as Lee blew the head off another. Suddenly, a green glow sped towards Alessa, and she narrowly dodged, turning to watch the green plasma turn a man behind her into goo. She gulped, turning her attention to the stairs. A stern, red-headed man stood there, smirking, holding a strange pistol.

"He's got plasma! Watch your backs!" Lee shouted. The man, Eddie, turned his attention to Alessa.

"Heard about you. One of Cobb's boys got out of Goodsprings. I take it you're the one who organized that little militia?" He chuckled. "Cute. Too bad I'm not amused." He fired another shot, but Alessa ducked, firing as well. Eddie dodged swiftly. "Tch. You really think you can stand up to me?"

"You're the only one left." Alessa glared daggers at the man. "It'd be more sensible to give up this fight, and keep your life." Eddie laughed.

"You've got nerve, I'll give you that. But I'll be damned if I spend the rest of my life blasting rock for rail lines!" Lee cocked his rifle, as did the two remaining NCR soldiers, training their sights on Eddie.

"Give it up." Lee snarled. "It's over!""Not by a long shot!" Eddie soon fired a shot at Lee. Alessa's eyes widened, and she reacted instinctively. She threw her Laser Pistol in the line of fire, the pistol turning to goo, effectively saving Lee's life.

"OPEN FIRE!" Lee shouted, and a hail of gunfire sped towards Eddie, taking him down quickly. Lee reloaded and holstered his gun, turning to Alessa. "You saved my bacon, there, kid."

"It was nothing." Alessa strode over to Eddie's body, picking up his Plasma Pistol. Well, he wouldn't be using it, she thought. She turned it over in her hands, admiring its structure, and the pretty green glow at the tip, where the plasma was generated.

"Those are pretty rare." Lee stated. "I wanna know how that bastard got a hold of one." He shook his head. "Anyway...We can take it from here. Might still be some resistance, but Eddie's a deadie." Alessa chuckled at the rhyme, and Lee smiled. "I'll radio ahead to Hayes and let him know you're coming back. And, hey." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small satchel of caps. "This is from me, personally." Alessa was shocked.

"I...I can't accept this." Lee pushed it towards her.

"I insist. Least I can do, since you saved me and my men. Without you, this would've been a disaster." Alessa gulped, taking the caps a bit shakily.

"Thank you, Sergeant Lee."

"No. Thank _you_, Alessa Grant."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Gotta say, I'm impressed." Hayes congratulated Alessa upon her return to the NCR camp outside of Primm. "Not many people would sacrifice a weapon for a life these days. Wish I had more men like you. Maybe this would've gotten done a long time ago."

"Thank you for the praise, Sir," Alessa spoke timidly. "But...There is still the matter of Primm..."

"If we had more men, I'd assign Sergeant McGee to be the Sheriff of Primm. But, I need more men before I can sacrifice one. We lost some good guys at the NCRCF." Alessa nodded, feeling sorry for the youths that died in battle.

"What would you propose, then?"

"Take this to Major Knight at the Mojave Outpost." Hayes handed her a letter, and she carefully placed it in her boot, hoping it would stay protected as she trekked across the desert. "He should be able to help us out."

"Alright. I'll be on my way, then." Alessa turned to leave, but was stopped by Hayes.

"Hey. Thanks." She blinked at him, and he continued. "Like I said. Wish there were more people like you in the NCR. Maybe we wouldn't be having so much trouble if more people were like you." Alessa blushed at the compliment, looking away shyly.

"Th-Thank you, Sir." With that, she exited the tent, her cheeks still flushed as she headed towards the main road, then turned to head in the direction of the Mojave Outpost.


	9. Chapter Eight: Mysterious Stranger

"You just come in from the north?" A grizzled looking African-American man with a large, bushy beard clad in NCR Mantle Armor stopped Alessa as she entered the Outpost. She nodded in reply, and the man whistled. "Must be crazy to brave those roads. What brings you to the ol' Brahmin pen?" Alessa raised an eyebrow, not catching the man's joke.

"I'm sorry...Brahmin pen?" She repeated for clarification, and the man chuckled.

"This outpost is primarily used for traders coming in and out of California. Due to the roads being so dangerous these days, a lot of the traders from California get stuck here. Thus, the ol' Brahmin pen." He turned to point out a chain-link pen nearly filled to the brim with Brahmin. It looked to have makeshift sleeping bags on the ground, as well. Alessa couldn't help thinking to herself that it couldn't possibly be sanitary, but reminded herself that sleeping on the ground probably wasn't much better.

"I see what you mean. Are you Major Knight?" She asked, and the man shook his head.

"Knight? Nah, name's Sergeant Kilborn. Knight's over in the main building, at the reception desk."

"You mean that one, there?" She pointed to a building that had a wooden ramp leading to the rooftop, where an NCR Ranger stood, staring off in the distance through binoculars. Kilborn shook his head again.

"Nah, that's the barracks and the bar. Knight's in the other building."

"What's that woman looking at?" She asked, and Kilborn looked over towards the Ranger on the roof.

"Ghost, y'mean? She's our sniper. Said somethin' about the town of Nipton maybe being attacked. Orders are to have a standing force here at all times, so we haven't been able to send anybody to check it out." He looked her over, noting that her armored Vault suit looked well-used. "You look like you can handle yourself, so if you wanna make yourself useful, have a chat with Ghost. Jackson might have some work, too, but that'll be more like "pest extermination," catch my drift?" Alessa recalled the radscorpions and giant ants she encountered on her way to the Outpost, as well as various bandits. She reasoned that the insects in particular must've been what kept the traders penned in at the Outpost.

"I think I know what you mean. I assume your bar has a merchant manning it?"

"Yeah, Lacey's got some goods, and she'll buy most food and drink to resell to our boys. Weapons, though, you'd be better heading up to Vegas. Gun Runners will buy just about anything, and they certainly have the caps."

"I'll be heading to Vegas eventually, but I need to discuss some things with Major Knight." Alessa looked off in the direction of Primm, then looked up at the massive iron statues that marked the Outpost. One of them was clad in a long trenchcoat, the other clad in a cowboy-esque outfit similar to what Ranger Ghost was wearing. "May I ask what those statues are?"

"Ah, yes, a magnificent feat of artistry." Alessa read some sarcasm in Kilborn's voice, but allowed him to continue. "Signifies the unification of Nevada's Desert Rangers and the NCR Rangers. Mostly good for shade." He joked, but his tone soon turned serious. "Won't do much when the Legion hits us." Alessa had heard about the Legion, but never actually seen them in action. From what she'd heard, she didn't want to see them.

"What makes you think the Legion will attack here?" Kilborn gave her a look that asked if she'd been born yesterday.

"Well, considering we're on the border between Nevada and California, and most of our troops come through here to get to Vegas or wherever, the Legion will likely attack us once the battle for Hoover Dam starts up in an attempt to cripple our forces."

"I see. That's a troubling thought." Alessa shook her head. "Thank you for your help, sir. I hope the day treats you well." She headed to the main Outpost building, and the man couldn't help but be surprised by her manners. He smiled faintly, and went back to "patrolling."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Hey, you." Alessa heard a woman's voice call for her as she approached the barracks. Looking up, she'd see Ranger Ghost peering down at her.

"Me?" Alessa asked for clarification, and Ghost nodded.

"You a Courier?" She asked, and Alessa nodded in response. Ghost actually smiled at that. "Then today's your lucky day. Got a job to do, but since we can't leave the Outpost, I need someone with freer feet, so to speak." Alessa nodded, heading up to the rooftop via a makeshift wooden ramp. Once on the roof, she peered off the side, feeling a little uneasy about being so high up.

"Ranger Ghost, is it?" Alessa asked. "Um...Sergeant Kilborn said something about the town of Nipton being attacked." Ghost nodded solemnly, looking off to the distance. Alessa looked, as well, shocked to see so much smoke pouring from the town she assumed was Nipton.

"Dunno how you didn't notice it on your way up here." Ghost said, frowning. "It's obvious the town's been hit. What I need to know is if they survived it. With all that smoke in the air, might be Powder Gangers."

"So you'd like me to check it out." Ghost nodded.

"You got it. If there are any survivors, they'd probably be holed up in the town hall." She looked over to Alessa, her voice serious. "Now, look. I'm looking for eyes and ears, not your life. If things get to be too much to handle, haul ass back here as quick as you can."

"Got it. Do you know if anyone else has work around here?" Ghost pondered for a moment.

"Jackson might have something. Dunno about any caravan work, though."

"I'll check out Nipton for you." She sounded determined, and Ghost seemed surprised to hear the determination in Alessa's voice.

"All right. Look at you, all fired up and ready to go." She chuckled, looking down at the other troopers around the Outpost. "Wish some of the guys here had your attitude."

"I've been hearing that a lot lately." Alessa murmured, looking around the Outpost. "I'd best get going, then. See you later, Ranger Ghost." Ghost nodded a goodbye, and Alessa descended down the ramp, heading for the main building.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Caravan, Citizen, Pilgrim, or other?" A man in his mid-thirties asked Alessa from behind a reception desk, a pen in his hand as he scribbled names into a log book. He looked tired and bored, as though he'd been there for a while.

"What?" Alessa asked, confused. "Er...I'm a Courier. Alessa Grant." The man nodded, scribbling it down.

"Just need something for the log books. Keeping tabs on traffic through here." The man answered. "Though, mostly in. Not out, these days. Now, what brings you here?"

"Are you Major Knight?" She asked, and he nodded.

"That's me. What do you need?"

"I'd like to talk to you about Primm." She said seriously. Knight nodded, looking solemn.

"Hayes' unit is stationed up there. I know they were having issues with some convicts that broke out of the prison."

"Primm has seen better days." Alessa spoke grimly, and Hayes nodded.

"It has. It was a promising trade town, until the convicts took over. Lost a good bit of money at the Vikki and Vance. Say, you wouldn't happen to be the same Courier that helped Hayes out, would you?"

"I am." Alessa nodded. "Hayes is requesting additional support. He's undermanned and under-supplied." Knight thought about it for a moment.

"Hmm...I'd like to help, but we can't spare any more units. We need to maintain a minimum head count at the Outpost at all times. Orders from the West." Alessa frowned, determined not to let this trek be for nothing.

"You said yourself Primm would be a promising trade town. Having Primm -and- the trade routes under NCR control would help the West in the long run. It would bring in more money, right?" Knight was surprised by her argument.

"Huh...I didn't think of it that way. You got some head for business, Kid." He smiled faintly. "I'll radio for a unit to head to Primm for additional support."

"Thank you, sir." Alessa smiled, relieved that he agreed with her argument. "By the way...What else do you do here, besides keep tabs?"

"Well, I can maintain your equipment. You'll have to sign off on the forms and pay appropriately, of course."

"Do you service robots?" Alessa gestured to ED-E, floating along behind her.

"Well, it's not my area of expertise, but I can see about fixing up its chassis at least."

"That would be wonderful." Alessa smiled, turning to ED-E. "Command Protocol - Sleep Mode." ED-E replied with a series of beeps, and floated over to Knight, landing softly on his desk, and shutting off. "There. That should let you work with her, and not have her trying to float to every corner of the room." Knight nodded, looking ED-E over.

"Huh...Haven't seen one of these babies in a long time. Pretty well maintained. It belong to you?"

"Well, now she does." Alessa nodded. "I found her at the Mojave Express headquarters in Primm. Johnson Nash said another courier just left her there. She wasn't running, and as you can see, her chassis is still pretty badly damaged."

"Yeah, I can see that. Little 'bot must've taken quite a bit of damage, wherever it was going. Well, I'll take a look at it, see if I can't bang out any of these dents. Oh, before I forget, if you'd like to see our C.O., he's in the back offices. Just keep your conversation brief, though. Got a lot on his plate these days."

"I've heard. Thank you again, Major Knight."

"No problem." Knight waved her off, and she headed to the back offices. Seeing a man in a similar cowboy outfit to Ghost's, she reasoned that man must have been the commanding officer, Jackson.

"Excuse me, sir? Are you Ranger Jackson?" Jackson turned to her, nodding.

"Sure am." He chuckled. "Surprised to get a visitor in this ol' Brahmin pen. Usually people are just passing through. And, if you're passing through, you picked a bad time. Can't let the Caravans out on the roads. Too dangerous right now."

"I heard, and I've seen. Is there any way I can help?" She asked. Jackson shook his head.

"Help? Nah, I..." After a moment of thought, he changed his tune. "You know what? Yes, I could use the help. And you look like you can handle yourself." He turned to a map on his desk. It appeared to be a map of the trade routes in the area. "I need to get the Caravans moving again, but there's too much crawling the asphalt to allow it. Ants, Scorps, and bandits. All of 'em mean trouble for caravaneers."

"I could take care of it for you." Jackson smiled.

"I appreciate it. Come back here when you're done. I might accidentally, uh..."lose" some supplies to pay you with."

"Lose?"

"Well, we can't technically pay for merc work, but a requisition form or two can get lost, and nobody'll poke around about it too much. Besides, if it gets the Caravans moving again, I'd be glad to give you some supplies."

"Well, alright then." Alessa turned to head out of the room, leaving the building.

* . * . * . * . * . *

After clearing out the road leading north, and an eventful trip, Alessa finally arrived at Nipton. Along the way, she'd met a trader who told her about the unique bottle cap with the blue star on it, and that if she collected enough of them, she could win a prize from the Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters. She also ran into a scheming young woman who killed a man for his star caps, then tried to take Alessa's. Upon entering Nipton, she met a Powder Ganger who kept ranting about some lottery. Once he ran off, she took a good look at the town of Nipton. Fires burned everywhere, houses with skulls in front of their doors, on their mailboxes, and skulls and bones mixed in with burning piles of junk. Alessa shuddered, having never seen such carnage before. She knew, at that moment, that Powder Gangers couldn't have caused this much destruction.

She made her way up the road, and turned in the direction of the Nipton Town Hall, stopping in her tracks at what she saw. At least six Powder Gangers were strung up on crosses, and at the entrance of the Town Hall, a gang of men in crimson armor stood. One of the men had a hood that appeared to be made out of a coyote's head. She shook with fear, walking down the main street, looking around at the carnage. She wanted to vomit. As she approached the men in red armor, the man with the dog hood smirked at her, and she suddenly felt cold all over.

"What have we here?" The man wearing the dog hood spoke with a voice that was smooth, and deceptively sweet, like poisoned chocolate. "A lost lamb...And she looks frightened." He chuckled, and his men laughed at the sight of the shaking Alessa. She swallowed hard, but kept her mouth shut. The man wearing the dog hood descended down the steps of the Town Hall, his cold smirk and his even colder voice making Alessa feel as though she were buried beneath feet of ice. "But don't worry, Lost Lamb. I won't have you strung to a cross like the rest of these...Degenerates." He spoke the last word with disgust, looking to one of the strung-up Powder Gangers. "In fact...Your arrival could prove quite useful to me." Alessa wanted to speak, wanted to ask how they could cause such destruction and live with themselves, but she could not find the words. All her body wanted to do was turn and run, far away from the town of Nipton, but her muscles wouldn't allow her to flee. The man continued to speak, greeted by her silence. "I want you to witness the fate of Nipton. Memorize every detail. And then, when you move on...I want you tell everyone you meet about the lessons that Caesar's Legion taught here." His voice hardened. "Especially any NCR troops you may come across." Alessa finally found her voice, hearing the disgust in his when speaking of the NCR.

"What...What 'lessons'could you have possibly taught here?" She asked, obvious fear and disgust in her own voice. The man in the dog hood grinned, and Alessa felt even colder.

"Where to begin? That we are strong, and they are weak?" He chuckled. "This much was known already." His voice hardened again, and he continued on. "But...The depths of their moral sickness, their...Dissolution. Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson." Alessa clenched her fists, shaking even more...This time with anger.

"I've heard enough." She spat, venom in her voice, and the Legionaries surrounding their commander were surprised by her sudden growth of a spine. "Your crimes are unforgivable." The man merely chuckled.

"As are all crimes." He turned his back to her, waving a hand, and his men turned to exit the town. "If you feel so strongly about it, attack us...And soon, you won't feel a thing." As he turned to walk away from her, she pulled out her Plasma Pistol, cocking it. He stopped, turning to face her, a sneer crossing his features. "Just as foolish as the rest of them...Take care of this upstart." He snapped to two of his men, and they drew machetes, approaching Alessa. She stepped back, hands shaking, aiming at the man with the dog hood.

"I...I can't...I can't allow you to get away with this! You're sick!" She shouted, and the man was suddenly upon her, a blade to her throat. It appeared to have a motor, but he did not flick it on...Yet. Alessa froze, being knocked and pinned to the ground, the blade to her throat, shaking.

"So foolish." The man sneered down at her. "What a shame...You're quite a pretty one. It would be a shame to mar such a lovely face." He chuckled, but was soon interrupted by a sharp kick to the ribs. He grunted in pain, falling off of Alessa, allowing her to scramble to her feet, looking in the direction the kick had come from.

There stood a man who looked to be a few years older than Alessa, likely in his mid to late twenties, clad in a tan duster and riot armor under the duster. The man had a .44 magnum revolver holstered on each hip, and a combat knife strapped to his thigh. His skin was tanned, a few scars littering his face, likely from many battles in the wasteland. He wore a cowboy-esque hat that looked similar to the grayish-brown hat that Ghost had been wearing, green eyes glaring coldly at the man with the dog hood. The strangest part about this man, though, was his hair: It was a cobalt blue color, a color Alessa had not seen on any man she'd met in the wastes so far.

"Pick on someone your own size." The man growled as the man with the dog hood rose, glaring daggers at the other.

"Hn...NCR scum." He spat venomously. "And here I thought we'd gotten them-Argh!" He was interrupted yet again by a swift punch to the nose, stumbling back and holding his now bleeding, probably broken nose. He growled, stumbling back, turning to his men.

"What are you doing standing there?" He spat at his men, enraged. "Get rid of them both!" With that, he and two of his men fled the scene, leaving two dogs and three Legionaries to take out Alessa and the mysterious man. The man simply smirked, removing both revolvers from their holsters.

"Take the dogs. I'll take on the boys." He said to Alessa, and began to open fire, aiming for the Legionaries' heads. He took them down with ease, and the dogs soon charged at them. Alessa's hands were still shaking, and she fired blindly at the dogs. Out of five shots, two of them actually hit their marks, turning each dog into a pile of goo. The man reloaded his revolvers quickly before holstering them again.

"You alright?" He asked, turning to Alessa again. "Didn't hurt you, did he?" She shook her head "no," but the man could still see fear in her eyes. "That's Vulpes Inculta. One of Caesar's best Frumentarii." He growled as he looked in the direction where Vulpes ran off. "I've been wanting to show that bastard what-for for a while now." He removed a pack of cigarettes from a pocket in his duster, along with a lighter, lighting one and taking a long drag. "Finally got a chance to do it." He continued, once he'd puffed the smoke out of his lungs.

"I..." Alessa gulped. "That...That was Caesar's Legion?" The man nodded.

"Sick bastards, aren't they?" He stated coldly, and she nodded.

"...You saved my life." She spoke softly, looking down. "I...I don't know how to repay you." The man shook his head.

"No need. Just doing my job." He began to walk away, in the direction Vulpes and his men had gone.

"W-Wait!" Alessa called out, and he paused, turning to her. "Who...Who are you?" She asked, and he merely smiled at her.

"Consider me your own personal guardian angel." With that, he walked on, following Vulpes and his men. Alessa did not follow. Instead, she turned, getting ready to leave the town and all the carnage behind. Before leaving the town, she put all of the strung-up Powder Gangers out of their misery, with a bullet to the head. They may have been criminals, but they didn't deserve the fate that befell them. Once things were settled, Alessa left the town, eager to get as far away from Nipton as possible.

* . * . * . * . * . *

Author's Note: Well, this was an eventful chapter, wasn't it? Alessa finally got to see what the Legion is capable of. I just want to say, I freaking love Vulpes. His voice gives me the shivers, and I think he's an excellent villain.

Also, Mysterious Stranger! Rather than using the game's Mysterious Stranger, I decided that, as a shoutout to my fiancée, I would use his character. He'll appear again sometime later, and I'll go a little more in-depth with his backstory. For now, though, he's just kind of...There. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, guys. I enjoyed writing it, especially Vulpes' part. He really is a fun character. :)


	10. Chapter Nine: Primm Pass

By the time Alessa returned to the Outpost, it was after dark. On her way in, she had been stopped by Sergeant Kilborn, who noted that she looked as though she'd seen a ghost. She told him what had happened, and it deeply troubled him. She checked in with Jackson and Ghost afterwards, rewarded by Jackson with a Service Rifle, 100 bottle caps, two lunchboxes full of food, a weapon repair kit and 72 armor piercing 5.56 rounds for the Rifle. She decided to leave ED-E with Knight overnight, and headed to the Barracks to rest. She took a seat at the bar, still white as a sheet.

"New face at the Outpost." The bartender, who Alessa assumed was Lacey, leaned on the bar in front of Alessa. "What'll you have?"

"A drink would be nice." Alessa murmured. "Do you have any Scotch?"

"Sure do. Last bottle, too." Lacey opened the bottle and poured the scotch into a glass, setting it down in front of Alessa. In return, Alessa traded the ant meat and nectar she'd gathered during her "hunting." She sighed as she downed the Scotch, glancing around the room. She noticed a young woman sitting at the bar, a half-empty bottle of Whiskey beside her, and two more empty bottles littered in front of her. She downed a shot of the Whiskey, and poured herself another soon after. The redheaded woman noticed Alessa looking, and scowled.

"Looking for trouble?" She asked bitterly, a fist clenching.

"Only looking around." Alessa answered, still a bit jumpy from all that she'd seen, a hand resting on her plasma pistol just in case. The woman shrugged.

"Well, keep them eyes up and turnin', or I'll send 'em spinnin'." She downed another shot of Whiskey, then continued. "Got no time for gawkers, or anyone lookin' for shit I ain't sellin'." Alessa could hear the bitterness in the woman's voice.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"All right?" The woman scowled further. "No, I'm not alright. Drinking to forget, and it's only getting me madder." She sighed heavily. "Whiskey always gets my temper up...Now more than ever." She filled her glass again. "Used to get me into all sorts of trouble back West. Before I punched enough people, that is, and they learned to lay low when the Whiskey hit."

"Mind if I ask what you're trying to forget?" Alessa asked, the woman shaking her head in response.

"Lost my caravan heading north. Driver was burned to ash...And they didn't even take the cargo. They just burned that, too." Alessa looked surprised.

"Why would anybody do that?" She asked, and the woman merely shrugged.

"My guess is Legion. Trying to cut NCR's supply line...And the Mojave Outpost is proof." She downed the glass she'd just filled. "Got us locked up tighter than a New Vegas virgin. No caravans in or out, and just try arguing with Jackson about it. "Roads aren't safe," he says." She clenched her fists, her voice raising a bit. "No shit, you washed-out old fuck-up! I didn't need a Brotherhood scribe to tell me that." Alessa giggled a bit.

"I've met him. Nice impersonation." The woman smiled faintly, but it disappeared quickly.

"Yeah. He's been with NCR so long, all he can see is the worst outcome of everything...So, he doesn't do anything." She rolled her eyes. "Jackson won't let me head north, 'cause it's "not safe." And even though my caravan's gone, my caravan papers are still keeping me here." She shook her head, holding it, a headache coming on. "You come here lookin' for work, take my advice. Go find the Crimson Caravan up in New Vegas. They might be able to help you out." Alessa shrugged.

"Thanks for the advice...I already cleared the roads for Jackson, so I don't see why he wouldn't let you go now." The woman's eyes widened, impressed.

"No shit? Well, drinks on me, then. Nah, I'm not going anywhere. Caravan title's still keeping me here, even though it's dead and gone."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Alessa looked down at her now-empty glass of Scotch, tempted to order another.

"Name's Rose of Sharon Cassidy. Call me Cass." The woman spoke up, and Alessa looked back to her.

"That's a really nice name. I'm Alessa Grant, a Courier." Cass held out a hand, and Alessa shook it.

"Dad got it out of some old book. Liked the name, so he gave it to me." Cass closed her eyes, her headache worsening. "Ugh...Guess I better hit the hay." She mumbled, standing. Alessa nodded, rising as well.

"It was good meeting you." Alessa said softly.

"Yeah. You, too." Cass nodded. "You take care, now." Her voice seemed to have softened. Alessa smiled, and headed towards the barracks, hoping to find an empty bed.

* . * . * . * . * . *

After a good night's sleep, Alessa picked up ED-E from Knight, and headed back to Primm. She'd done some exploring in the hills near the Mojave Outpost and the old Police Station she passed on her way to the Outpost, fending off Ghouls and Radscorpions. She did find some bounty in an abandoned campsite. A large, white book with a skull on it, titled "The Wasteland Survival Guide" lay beside a cot in one tent, and in the second tent, she found a Sunset Sarsaparilla Star Bottle Cap. On her way to Primm, she happened by an old drive-in theater, and found another Star cap near a car there. By the time she arrived in Primm, it was mid-afternoon. The reinforcements had already arrived, and Hayes seemed pleased.

"Well, a deal's a deal." Hayes said after congratulating Alessa. "Sergeant McGee will take over as Sheriff here in Primm. The rangers standing by will be his deputies. This town will be NCR territory. The citizens will have to become registered NCR citizens and also pay the appropriate taxes. Think they'll stand for it?" Alessa nodded.

"Without a doubt. As long as law and order is brought to Primm, I don't see any reason why anyone would object." Hayes nodded.

"Alright, then. I'll radio them over now."

"Thank you, sir." Alessa shook his hand. "It means a lot."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Well, we really owe you one." Deputy Beagle congratulated Alessa with a bottle of Sunset Sarsaparilla, the two sharing a drink and a conversation before she readied herself to leave. "Somethin' seems different about you. Y'don't look well." Alessa looked away, sighing heavily.

"Let's just say I've seen some things I never want to see again." Beagle nodded, leaving it at that.

"I can tell you don't wanna talk about it. Must've been pretty bad." He took a sip of his Sarsaparilla.

"How far is Primm Pass from here?" Alessa asked, and Beagle gulped.

"Few miles. Follow the railroad tracks by the NCRCF, and they'll take you there." He gave her a wary look. "It'd be a lot safer going through Nipton..."

"I'm **not**going back to Nipton." She spoke with a coldness and fear in her voice that Beagle hadn't heard since he'd met her. He got quiet, nodding.

"Just be careful. People who go through Primm Pass, well...They don't always come back out."

"I'll be alright. I've got ED-E." Beagle chuckled.

"No offense, but I don't think that little 'bot can stand up to what's guarding the Pass." Alessa merely shrugged.

"Well, we have to try." Beagle nodded.

"Yes, I suppose you do." In the background, Mr. New Vegas was starting his news program over the radio, and an interesting story caught the attention of everyone inside the Vikki and Vance Casino.

_"A package courier found shot in the head near Goodsprings has reportedly regained consciousness, and made a full recovery. Now __**that's **__a delivery service you can count on!"_

"Well, now." Beagle chuckled. "If I didn't know better, I'd think they were talkin' about you." He teased, and Alessa's cheeks flushed.

"Sh-Shut up. That's...I'm not really that uncommon, am I?"

"Well, you're somethin'." Beagle smiled at her, and she found herself blushing a bit more. "Somethin' special. Shame there ain't more people like you in the world. Maybe it wouldn't be such an awful place."

* . * . * . * . * . *

After donating some supplies to the people of Primm, and stocking up on food, drink and Stims, Alessa left Primm with pride swelling her heart. She felt very good about herself for helping the people there. She stopped at an abandoned Powder Gang camp near the NCRCF to rest, and to look at her Pip-Boy map.

"Let's see," She murmured to herself. "Just follow the tracks south until I get to the Emergency Service Railyard, then climb up the hills, and there's Primm Pass." She nodded to herself, standing again. "Well...Let's get going, ED-E." The little robot beeped and began to follow Alessa as she walked along the tracks. After about 20 minutes of walking, she found the abandoned Emergency Service Railyard, and looked up at the hills nearby. She took a deep breath, and began to scale the hills, ED-E floating along behind her. Once they got up the hills, Alessa was greeted by an opening to a small canyon. This, she reasoned, must be Primm Pass. She could hear the wind whistling through the Pass, and she swore she heard a roar somewhere deep inside. She gulped, readying her new Service Rifle, loading it with Armor Piercing rounds.

"Well," She spoke nervously to ED-E. "Now or never...Right?" She looked around the Pass, wondering if maybe she could scale the rock walls, and perhaps avoid whatever creature was inside the Pass. She began to climb up the rocks, and she did fairly well until she came to a large gap between the rock she was on, and another, more flat rock. She could see the creature in the distance. The Deathclaw had long arms and legs, and looked to be almost reptilian. Alessa gulped, looking down at the flat rock, wondering if she could make the jump without hurting herself. She took a deep breath, and jumped. Unfortunately, she missed the rock, and was sent to the ground, landing hard on her left leg. She cried out in pain, despite herself. ED-E's horn blared the music it normally played when a threat was approaching, and Alessa looked up in horror as the Deathclaw raced towards them.

She got to her feet, her leg aching badly, but not broken. She began firing off rounds as ED-E fired off lasers, narrowly dodging angry slashes from the Deathclaw. The rounds didn't seem to be doing much damage to the angry beast, and Alessa found herself reloading quicker than she'd wanted to. As she began to reload, the Deathclaw smacked her, sending her flying. At that point, she knew she couldn't hold off the beast, getting up, and began to run. She ran, and thought she might escape the beast, when she suddenly came to a small cliff. She had been running too fast to stop herself, and she tumbled down the rock face, landing hard on her leg. This had been the final straw, the limb broken. She cried out in pain, holding her leg. She heard a roar behind her, realizing the Deathclaw was still pursuing her. She looked around, seeing an old shack nearby, and attempted to crawl towards it. Meanwhile, ED-E continued to fire its lasers at the Deathclaw, keeping it at bay long enough for Alessa to crawl inside the shack. Once ED-E floated in, she shut the door, praying the Deathclaw wouldn't find them.

She panted heavily, laying on the wood floor, her leg screaming with pain, her heart hammering inside her chest. She hadn't even felt so afraid when she was in Nipton. She sat up, looking down at her leg. It was bent at an odd angle, and she knew she'd have to do something to straighten it out. She dug through her pack, finding a medical brace, sighing. It would have to do, for now. She fastened the brace around her knee, gritting her teeth as she tightened the leather belts. Her bones straightened out, but it hurt like Hell, and Alessa tried to stifle a cry of pain. Once she'd fastened the brace, she dug through her bag, finding a single shot of Med-X. She injected herself, and after a moment or so, the pain faded. She laid back down on the floor after that, and within minutes, she had passed out.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Maw! Maw, she's wakin' up!" Alessa was awoken by the sound of a young boy's excited voice, groaning as her eyes slowly opened. An older woman and a young boy stood nearby.

"Ugh..." She groaned, trying to sit up, but the woman laid her back down.

"Easy, hon, easy." She was dark-skinned, with tired brown eyes and frazzled black hair. Her son had lighter skin, but had the same eyes and buzzed black hair. The woman was clad in rags, as was the boy. "You realize you're the first person to get through that Pass, and live to tell the tale?" The boy was grinning.

"Didja see it? Didja? Was the monster big? Did it have eight eyes? I hear Deathclaws have eight eyes!" Alessa smiled weakly at the boy's enthusiasm.

"No, it didn't have eight eyes...But it was big. Very big." The older woman sighed.

"Don't I know it? Lucky that thing ain't tried to break down our door and eat us. Its brothers won't be too happy it's gone." Alessa's eyes widened.

"Gone? It's dead...? And what do you mean by 'its brothers?'"

"Whole pack of Deathclaws livin' up in them hills. Takin' shelter in a cave not too far from this ol' shack. You lucky they didn't come runnin' when their brother started cryin'." Alessa gulped, not realizing until now just how lucky she'd been. "I reckon that little robot is what saved you, Darlin'. Must fire lasers or somethin', 'cause it turned that ol' Deathclaw into a pile of ashes." ED-E, on cue, floated into the room, beeping and scanning the surroundings. Alessa stared at ED-E in amazement.

"I am **so **glad I fixed you up." She murmured. She slowly sat up, holding her head.

"You on your way to Novac, I take it?" The woman asked. Alessa blinked at her.

"How did you know?" The woman smiled.

"Well, that little computer on your arm got it marked on a map." Alessa looked down to her Pip-Boy. When did she mark Novac on the map? She couldn't remember. "Well, if you headin' to Novac, might wanna wait 'til mornin'. Deathclaws sleep durin' the day around here, and you might be less likely to run into bandits in the mornin'."

"You can sleep on my bed!" The boy said excitedly. "I gotta make some more ammo for us anyways. Used it all up huntin'."

"Make ammo?" Alessa asked, raising an eyebrow. The woman smiled.

"My boy takes after his Daddy. Learned to make junk rounds from that good man, God rest his soul." She sighed. "Can't believe it been three years already."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Alessa felt genuinely sorry for the woman and the boy, but the woman shook her head.

"Don't be, darlin'. We both knew the risks when we came here. He got drunk one night and thought he could take on a pack of Nightstalkers. Poor fool." She shook her head. "Anyways, you oughta get some rest. You had a rough day." Alessa nodded, laying her head back down on the pillow, and sleep soon took over once more.

* . * . * . * . * . *

The next morning, after a Deathclaw egg and Mole Rat Meat breakfast cooked by the kind woman, who Alessa found out was named Eleanor Harper, Alessa left the shack and continued on her way to Novac. Harper's son, Dorien gave her a couple of Sunset Sarsaparilla caps as a parting gift, calling them his lucky charms. Alessa smiled sadly as she left the cabin behind, grateful for their hospitality. She limped down the hillside, seeing a camp of sleeping bandits not too far from where she was. She easily avoided them, and kept going until she reached the main road.

After about an hour of walking, she finally arrived in the town of Novac. She was relieved to find a doctor, who patched her leg up nicely, and traded some medical supplies for some food and chems Alessa had picked up and couldn't sell in Primm. Alessa wandered over to what looked like a large dinosaur statue, wanting to get a good look, when she was greeted by a familiar face.

"Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!" A familiar robotic voice called. "If it ain't my ol' friend from Goodsprings!"

"Victor?" Alessa blinked, soon smiling as she approached the robot. "Victor! It's good to see a friendly face out here."

"Likewise, friend!" Victor greeted, his cowboy-face monitor smiling at her.

"What brings you all the way out here?" She asked, curious to know why Victor was here, when he should've been back in Goodsprings.

"Well, I don't rightly know. Just got a notion to stop in here on my way to New Vegas." The robot looked her over, whistling. "You look like death warmed over, Little Lady." Alessa chuckled.

"I'm a lot better than I was, thanks to Doctor Strauss over there. I could use a bed and some supplies, though."

"Well, this ain't New Vegas, but I reckon you can find what you're lookin' for." Victor turned in the direction of the hotel. "Why not try that office out front, there? I'm sure Miss Jeannie May can help you out."

"Thanks, Victor. Say, do you know anything about this town?" The cowboy face looked puzzled for a moment.

"Novac? Oh, nice enough place I suppose." His voice lowered a bit. "But between you and me, when I rolled into town, my skin started to itch. **Watch** yourself." Alessa chuckled.

"Funny, you don't have skin. But I think I know what you mean." Alessa looked around the town for a moment, observing the people. "I might stay here for a while, I think. I definitely need a break."

"Well, good luck to ya. Say, you find those troublemakers you were lookin' for yet?" Alessa shook her head.

"Not yet, but I heard they came through here. Hopefully I'll find another clue while I'm here. I'll talk to you later, Victor."

"Happy trails!" The robot waved to her, and she smiled, waving back. She then turned towards the hotel, and entered the main office.

* . * . * . * . * . *

Author's Note: Yes, three normal Deathclaws and occasionally a couple of Young Deathclaws can sneak up on you when you get through Primm Pass. The entrance to Dead Wind Cavern is near Harper's Shack, and that's where the Deathclaws come from. I do NOT recommend taking on the Deathclaw family unless you're at a reasonable level. (Or if you have really high endurance and good armor.) Sure you'll get a level-up and a Deathclaw Egg or two out of it, but at a low level it's practically suicide. And for the love of Victor, don't go into Dead Wind Cavern at a low level. It's pretty much certain death.

Anyway! I'm writing this on Thursday, and tomorrow I'll have internet access again, so as a treat I'll have uploaded two (or more, if I decide to keep writing tonight) chapters. Yay!


	11. Chapter Ten: Fly Me To The Moon

"Well, welcome to you!" The woman called as Alessa neared the front desk. "You look tired from the road. Why don't you relax a spell? Let this fine town take care of you." As she spoke, Alessa couldn't help thinking she must've been a grandmother.

"Thank you, Ma'am, but we haven't met yet." She held out a hand. "My name's Alessa Grant."

"Oh, what am I doing? I got to thinking about making a good impression, and plum forgot to tell you my name." The woman took Alessa's hand, smiling warmly. "I'm Jeannie May. I take care of the folks in Novac, so long as they don't make trouble." The last few words sent a chill down Alessa's spine. Jeannie May spoke them so serious and stern that she felt the familiar skin-itching Victor had mentioned.

"Oh, I assure you, I won't cause any trouble while I'm here. Is this a hotel?"

"Why, it sure is. This is the Dino Dee-Lite Motel, and it's mine. Rooms run for about 100 caps, but we try and keep 'em as clean and well-decorated as we can. I guarantee you won't find a more comfortable place outside New Vegas."

"100 caps, huh?" Alessa pondered. She was needing a nice, warm bed. "Sounds reasonable. I'll take a room." She shelled out the money, and Jeannie May seemed to brighten at the sight of it.

"Sounds good. You can stay as long as you like. Well, at least until the busy season comes." She chuckled faintly, and slipped the caps into the register. "I'm glad you can stay with us. Your room will be upstairs, closest to the lobby side. Just let Jeannie May know if there's anything that can be done to make your stay more comfortable." Alessa smiled, taking the shiny key.

"Thanks, Ma'am...Actually, come to think of it, there is something you can do for me. Can you tell me if a man in a checkered coat came through here recently?" She asked, hopeful that she'd get some information. At the mention of the man, Jeannie May's face soured.

"Well! He might've been wearing a fancy outfit, but he certainly wasn't any gentleman to me! Had his nose stuck so high in the air, you couldn't see it above the clouds!" she sighed heavily, shaking her head. "City folk, I tell you, they always expect they deserve better than what they've got. And those Khan hoodlums he was with seemed to know Manny, for some reason."

"Manny?" Alessa asked. Jeannie May smiled.

"Our daytime sniper, up in the dinosaur's mouth." She explained, and Alessa nodded.

"Is there another sniper? You mentioned Manny only works during the day." Jeannie May nodded.

"Mr. Boone is our night sniper. Doesn't talk much, but he's a good man. Both of them are, actually. Right angels, they are. Don't know where our little town would be if they weren't keepin' watch over us." Jeannie May gushed, and Alessa smiled.

"It's nice to know that there are still good people in the world, isn't it? Could you tell me where Manny is? I'd like to ask him about the man in the checkered coat and his friends. It's a very important matter." Alessa stated seriously, and Jeannie May nodded.

"He ought to be in the Dinosaur's mouth. His shift should've started about an hour ago."

"Thank you, ma'am. Is there anywhere I can go for supplies?"

"Well, for regular supplies, go see Cliff Briscoe at the Dino-Bite Gift Shop, and tell him I sent you. Poor man must get lonely, standin' in the belly of a dinosaur all day. I'm sure he'd be glad for the company." Alessa nodded, smiling.

"Thank you very much, Miss Jeannie May. I'd better unload all this junk in my room."

"Of course! Why, I'm impressed you could carry all of that all the way here! Go on and get some rest. Sorry to keep you."

"Oh, no, it's fine, ma'am. Thanks again." With that, Alessa would walk out of the office, heading to her room.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Welcome to the Dino-Bite Gift Shop!" Alessa was greeted by Cliff Briscoe, who was happy to see a new customer. "My name's Cliff, and I run the shop. If you're lookin' for T-Rex Figurines, you're just in time! We still have a few left."

"T-Rex figurines?" Alessa blinked, looking at the one on Cliff's desk. She couldn't help thinking it was kind of cute. "Oh...I'm Alessa Grant. Jeannie May said you had supplies?""Supplies? Well, yeah..." He sighed. "Darn it. No one ever buys the T-Rexes...Well, any friend of Jeannie's is a friend of mine. And my friends get a discount at my store." Alessa smiled.

"Well, I didn't say I wasn't interested in the T-Rex figurines. I'll take one." Cliff's eyes widened, surprised.

"You will? Seriously?"

"Of course. I think it would look very nice on one of the endtables next to my bed." Cliff was absolutely stupefied.

"I...All right, then. Oh, uh, you needed supplies, too? Let me see what I have in the back..."

* . * . * . * . * . *

After stocking up, Alessa ascended the stairs in the Dino Bite Gift Shop, seeing a man standing there. He wore a red beret, a red sweatshirt, black vest, pants, boots and gloves, his hair slightly messy. In his hands was a hunting rifle with a scope added on to it. He turned to face Alessa, raising an eyebrow.

"What's goin' on, man?" He asked, seeming very laid back, which surprised Alessa.

"Are you Manny Vargas?" He nodded.

"One and only. What can I do for you?"

"Well..." She nervously scuffed the floorboards with one foot. "I'm looking for a man in a checkered coat. Miss Jeannie May said you saw him." Manny nodded, crossing his arms as he leaned against the dinosaur's teeth.

"Sure, I know him. What do you want with him?" Alessa's expression hardened.

"I...Have a score to settle, and I'm looking for answers. He shot me, stole my memories and a package I was supposed to deliver. I want to know why." Manny sighed.

"Hoo, that's rough. I mean, I knew the guy was a snake, but I didn't know he'd stoop that low. I can help you find him, but I've got problems of my own."

"Is there any way I can help?" Alessa asked, and Manny was surprised by her eagerness.

"Huh? Well...Sure. Yeah, if you don't mind fighting off Ghouls."

"Oh...Up near REPCONN, right? Miss Jeannie and Cliff said something about the rocket factory." Manny nodded.

"See, Novac's home to me now. And I wanna protect my home, no matter what. That factory is our bread and butter. Without scavenged parts from there, no one will wanna come through here. Those Ghouls gotta go, or else this town...It'll become a ghost town before long."

"That's awful..." Alessa looked down. "Well...If you promise to tell me where that man went, I'll help you." Manny smiled.

"I knew there was something about you I liked. You look like a person who can really get things done." Alessa smiled in return, blushing a bit as she ruffled her hair slightly.

"I just like to help people. Should I meet you back up here once I'm done?" Manny shook his head.

"Not after sunset. That's when Boone takes his post."

"Oh...Um...Who's Boone again?"

"He's our nighttime sniper." Manny looked away. "I'd introduce you, but...He and I aren't on very good terms right now." Alessa raised an eyebrow, curious as to why that was. Manny seemed to read her mind, and continued. "Me and his wife didn't see eye-to-eye on certain things, had some pretty bad arguments. One day she turns up missing, and he hasn't said a word to me since."

"Do you think he blames you for it?" Manny shrugged.

"I dunno. I'd like to think he knows better than that. As much as I didn't like the bitch, he seemed happy with her. I wouldn't wanna screw that up. He's...Well, was my best friend, y'know?"

"Of course not. What do you think happened?" Manny shrugged again.

"Who knows? Jeannie May thinks she ran off to Vegas or something. But, thing is, when she disappeared...She was pregnant with his kid." Alessa's eyes widened.

"Sounds suspicious...I don't know a pregnant woman who would run out on her family like that."

"I agree. As much of a bitch as she could be, she really loved Boone. If she wanted to leave him, she wouldn't have even come to Novac with him. Like I said, he's up here at night. If you wanna try and talk to him about it, be my guest. But...Nobody's been able to get very many words out of him about the whole thing."

"I'll see what I can do...Anyway, I should head to REPCONN before it gets dark." Manny nodded.

"Hey...Thanks for this. It means a lot." Alessa smiled.

"No problem. You can count on me."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Hey!" A gruff voice called over the intercom as Alessa entered the REPCONN factory, startling her enough that she nearly fired her gun. "Over here! Are you listening?" Upon realizing that the voice was coming from the intercom, she spoke into it.

"Um...Who are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter, Smoothskin." The voice sounded annoyed. "Go to the big room on the east side of this building and take the metal staircase all the way up. Hurry." The intercom soon went silent, and Alessa could hear the growling and hissing of Feral Ghouls throughout the building. Not only that, but there were corpses on the floor. One was a Super Mutant. Alessa sighed heavily, reloading her new gun, a mysterious pistol called "That Gun."

"This is going to be a long night..." Alessa murmured, and began to head through the building.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"God, but are you ugly!" The voice on the intercom belonged to a middle aged man, with dark hair, dark eyes, wearing a scientist's coat. He was balding, and he wasn't very attractive himself. "Get upstairs and talk to Jason before I throw up just from looking at you." Alessa frowned, crossing her arms.

"That's a nice thing to say to someone who's willing to help you with...Whatever it is you need help with." She moved past the man, and headed up the stairs. Before her stood a Glowing One in a tattered suit. This was the first Glowing ghoul she'd met that wasn't feral.

"Hello, wanderer." He greeted Alessa warmly, smiling. "Please forgive us our humble surroundings. Our true home awaits us in the Far Beyond. Have you come to help us make the Great Journey?"

"Um...Well, if you need help, sure. But actually, I came here because feral Ghouls have been coming into Novac." Jason's smile turned to a concerned frown.

"And they've been shooting them down like animals, haven't they? Those Ghouls were members of my flock, even after madness consumed their minds. We never let them wander free. They must have escaped our enclosure when the Demons came."

"Demons?" She asked. "What demons?"

"The Demons appeared from nowhere...Although, it's more accurate to say they never actually appeared at all." Jason explained. "The Demons are invisible. Where one of them stands, the most one sees is the air shimmering, like sunlight on water. They set upon us as we were on our way to worship one morning. My flock fought bravely, but nearly half of us died, or went missing. The survivors retreated up here. One of the Demons raved at us. Their presence has hindered the Great Journey greatly." His expression soon brightened. "But now you have come. The Creator has sent us another human to help us overcome what appears to be an insurmountable obstacle."

"You say one of the demons raved at you? About what?" Alessa asked.

"Threats of death should we step outside. It went on for hours, and did not always make sense. But since the first day, we have heard only silence."

"I'll take care of the demons for you, so long as you promise not to allow any more feral Ghouls to wander into Novac."

"You have my word, Wanderer. Bless you. Bless us all! As soon as the underground has been rid of Demons, preparations for the Great Journey can resume."

* . * . * . * . * . *

"What's that, Antler? We have a visitor? An assassin, more like! I say we kill it, Antler! For safe's sake!" The invisible "demon" seemed to be talking to a Brahmin skull, a sight which slightly unnerved Alessa. He went quiet for a moment, as if listening to what "Antler" had to say. "Hnnh? Okay, Antler. I'll ask nicely. Uh...Hi, human! Why you come here?"

"I, um...I came on behalf of the Ghouls upstairs."

"A human who is friend to Ghouls? Suspicious. Antler told them stay put, but they want to come down in basement anyways. I cannot allow! My kin are not, uh...Right in the head, like I am! They kill, go crazy! Your Ghoul friends have to wait until we find what Antler brought us to get!" Alessa raised an eyebrow, wondering what on Earth these things could possibly find here.

"And what is it that you're looking for?"

"Antler brought us here for a reason! What was it, Antler? ...Oh, right! Piece of paper, shipment invoice! Hundreds of Stealth Boys, here! Sent a long time ago! But, Stealth Boys must be in one room, room we can't search!"

"Why can't you search the last room?" Alessa asked.

"A Ghoul! But not squishy like others. This Ghoul is tough. Ghoul is a crack shot, and set traps, too! Antler says you are solution to problem!" Alessa thought about it.

"Okay. I'll help you, but only if you promise to leave this place once I've found your Stealth Boys."

"Yes. Antler says we leave as soon as we get Stealth Boys. I give you key now." The creature moved over to her, and handed her a worn key. "Ghoul inside not suspecting human. Maybe he no shoot you! Or maybe he will."

"I'd hope he doesn't...Alright. I'll find the Stealth Boys for you." She soon turned to leave the room, heading down the metal walkway towards a dead Nightkin, unlocking the door in front of it.

"Come and get it you big, dumb-!" A gruff voice, similar to the bald man upstairs shouted, but paused upon seeing Alessa. "Huh? You're not one of those things. Who the hell are you?"

"Jason sent me down here to get rid of them. They wanted me to search this room for something they're looking for." The Ghoul frowned.

"Lemme guess, Jason told you it's the Creator's will to risk your ass down here? Good luck with that. I might look like a corpse, but I'm pretty partial to living."

"How did you end up trapped down here?" Alessa asked, hoping to find a way to convince this Ghoul to abandon his post.

"I'm not trapped. This was a tactical choice, alright? I'm no match for those things out there, so I found a good defensive position, and I've been holding 'em off." He paused, soon shaking his head. "Aw, who'm I kidding? I'm trapped. Name's Harland. Pleased to meetcha."

"Alessa Grant, and likewise, Harland."

"See, what happened was, I was escorting some folks down here. Then those things attacked, some folks panicked and went further into the basement, and I went after them. I couldn't find the others, so I fell back to this room. End of story."

"How can I help you get out of here?"

"Hah! Well, you're polite, I give you that. If this was just between you and me, I'd leave. But it's not. I had a friend with me when those bastards attacked, and I think they captured her when she ran further into the basement. She's probably dead, but I ain't leaving until I know for sure."

"I'll find her, don't worry." Alessa assured him.

"Thanks. Let me know what you find out. Here's hoping she's okay." Alessa turned to leave the room, determined to find Harland's friend.

* . * . * . * . * . *

After another hour (and nearly getting herself killed), Alessa discovered that Harland's friend was dead, and that there were no Stealth Boys in the facility. She tiredly made her way into the offices where the Ghouls were holed up, to meet Jason.

"Is the way clear?" He asked, hopeful.

"Yes. The Demons are gone." Alessa answered, and Jason sighed in relief.

"Praise the Creator! And bless you, Wanderer! Now, I will lead my flock through the basement, to the Sacred Site. I hope you will come and find us there, for there is much to be done!" With that, Jason gathered his group, and the Ghouls headed to the basement, Alessa following behind. Upon arriving in the basement control room, Jason stopped her to speak with her.

"I wanted to speak with you one last time before we depart. I want you to know that we will remember for all eternity how you delivered us to the threshold of the Great Journey. Our preparations are nearly complete, but our rockets are still missing vital components. If you could help Chris track down those components, it would be a blessing."

"On the subject of Chris..." Alessa spoke softly, a little concerned. "He thinks he's a Ghoul..."

"Yes. Chris came to us seeking shelter, and we granted him shelter. We tried to convince him he was human, but that only angered him. He seemed...Lost. We decided to let him stay with us, and over the course of time, we learned he was quite the mechanic. It became clear that the Creator sent him to help us complete the Great Journey. Equally clear was that Chris should labor in blessed ignorance of his humanity. It is no coincidence that two humans have been vital to the completion of the Great Journey. The Creator has sent you both to us to expiate the sins of your kind. You have redeemed humans, and for that, I bless you."

"So...You're going to leave Chris behind?" Alessa asked. Jason nodded, sighing sadly.

"We'd love to take him with us, but the radiation on the launch pad would kill him. The radiation of the Far Beyond is much stronger."

"But you've been using him...It's not right."

"It is the Creator's will, and I must submit. There is no malice behind it. Now, I must bid you farewell. I need to descend to the launch pad to finish our preparations." Alessa nodded.

"Goodbye, Jason. I...Hope all goes well." He smiled at Alessa, and soon left the room. As Jason left, Chris entered, and Alessa felt a pang of guilt.

"Jason says that I am to cooperate with you on the final tasks necessary to launch the Great Journey."

"How can I help?" Alessa asked, wondering if she should tell Chris the truth about what Jason said.

"I was close to completing work on the rockets before we were driven into hiding. Two components are missing. A radioactive igniting agent, and a set of thrust control modules. I believe you can find the thrust control modules somewhere just outside of Novac. Some old scavenger woman should have them. As for the igniting agent, Jason has mentioned some industrial ruins nearby that may have some." Alessa nodded, sighing.

"Chris...I...You need to know something. Jason won't let you work on the launch pad because the radiation down there would kill you...Because you're human." Chris scoffed.

"I thought we were past this, Smoothskin. But you just can't resist the chance to mess with me. Typical human."

"I'm not messing with you, Chris!" She exclaimed, but he continued.

"I was human, once. I grew up in Vault 34. Nice upbringing, if you like assault rifles and explosives, but oh, you like machines that **don't** kill people? Not so nice, then." He scowled. "Who should maintain the reactor? How about Haversam? He **likes **machines! Haversam won't mind getting irradiated! Haversam won't mind when his hair starts falling out after a few years! He's already ugly as it is! There's no connection, Haversam! You're neurotic!" Alessa frowned.

"So...You left your Vault because you were going bald?"

"Bald?" He shouted. "You call this bald? I'm a monster!"

"Chris, listen to me! Jason told me himself, you can't go on the Great Journey! You're human, and it's only for Ghouls!" Chris glared into her eyes, but saw nothing but honesty there.

"Oh, God...You're telling the truth, aren't you? How could they do this to me?" He cried, anger filling him. "For two years? God, I've been a joke to them! Do you have any idea how easy it'd be for me to sabotage those rockets? That'd be a joke, huh? One hell of a joke!" His mind raced, and Alessa realized she needed to alleviate the situation.

"That would be murder, Chris. You're no murderer."

"What, you think I'm too stupid to pull it off? I know enough to get the rockets working, don't I? So I can make them fail, too!""It isn't a matter of smarts, Chris. You would never forgive yourself."

"Like I could forgive myself for getting duped like this?" He shouted. "They used me! And now they're throwing me away!" Alessa shook her head, feeling sorry for the lost man.

"Chris, they'd take you if they could, but you'd die."

"And dying would be worse than this? Used up and thrown away like garbage?" Alessa shook her head.

"How can you say that? They're going to revere you as a Saint!"

"So I've redeemed the human race, huh? What a crock! The human race can't stand me!"

"That's not true. You're not a bad guy, Chris." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"So, what, you want me to accompany you on your adventures across the wasteland?" Alessa shook her head.

"No, but I think the town of Novac, down the road, could use somebody like you. And they wouldn't just use you up and throw you away." Chris thought about the suggestion.

"Life among humans again? I...Suppose it's worth a shot. I'll get Jason and his flock on their way, and then I'll head for Novac." Alessa smiled.

"Now, that's more like it. I think you'll fit in very well there, Chris."

* . * . * . * . * . *

After getting the materials needed, Alessa was relieved to finally call this mission a success.

"So that's it, right? The rockets are ready now?" Alessa sounded hopeful as she spoke to Chris, wanting nothing more than to go back to Novac and relax for a while.

"Yes. I'll tell Jason that the Great Journey can begin." After a long speech from Jason down on the Launch Pad, Chris left the facility, leaving Alessa to do the honors of launching the rockets. She ascended to the top of the building, in a sort of control tower where a console sat. Alessa gulped, looking the buttons over, finding the launch button. She took a deep breath, pressing it. Suddenly, the facility was alive with music, and very dramatic music, at that. A dome opened up, revealing the rockets, and within minutes the rockets took flight. Alessa watched, amazed at the sight, knowing she'd never see anything like it in her life again. Once the rockets had blasted off, she sighed in relief, leaving the REPCONN facility for good, and heading back to Novac to tell Manny the good news.

"After this," she spoke up to ED-E. "I'm going to take a nice, long nap." ED-E responded with a beep and a chirp, and followed Alessa back to Novac.

* . * . * . * . * . *

Author's Note: Long chapter, I know, but I wanted to get all of that out of the way in one shot. But hey, think of it this way...Next chapter, we get introduced to Boone! Woo! New companion! *Throws confetti, and whatnot.* I'm probably going to take a short break after writing this chapter (LOOOOONGGGGGG), but rest assured that it won't be too long before we meet Boone. :) Talk at you all later!


	12. Chapter Eleven: One For My Baby

After letting Manny know the Ghouls were gone, dropping her stuff off in her room and taking a much needed nap, Alessa decided she needed to get a look at this Boone character. Her curiosity began to get the better of her as she tried the door to the Dino-Bite gift shop, surprised to find it unlocked. She entered quietly, taking a look around. Everything was laid out very neatly, and a miniature T-Rex figurine was still perched on the counter, as if saying "Buy me!" to any potential customer who wandered in. She figured Cliff Briscoe must have cared a lot for his shop to maintain it in such a way. She stepped forward, seeing the familiar set of stairs that lead into the Dinosaur's Mouth. She walked up them, opening the door slowly. Apprehension took over, her heart hammering in her chest even before she got the door open. Before she knew it, the barrel of a hunting rifle rested just inches from her face. It took all of her self-control not to scream and wet herself, afraid she might get shot again. She looked past the barrel, and saw a stern looking man who was maybe five years older than she was, clad in a simple, dirty tank top and cargo pants, and a red beret. His eyes, hidden by sunglasses, narrowed at the sight of her.

"Goddamnit! Don't sneak up on me like that. What the Hell do you want?" He lowered his gun, and Alessa gulped, slowly regaining her composure.

"Expecting visitors?" She asked, looking him over, her heart threatening to explode from her chest. She couldn't help thinking, _"Who in the Hell wears sunglasses at night?"_

"Yeah. But not like you. Maybe it was you I should've expected all along." He said cryptically. Alessa looked away.

"I...I heard from Jeannie May there was a sniper up here...You're Boone, right? She asked, trying to catch her breath and calm herself down. The man shrugged, lowering the gun.

"I think you better leave." He turned away from her, eyes locked on the road again. She frowned.

"Are you always this rude? I was just making friendly conversation." He frowned, crossing his arms as he turned to face her.

"I don't _have _friends here." He hissed.

"Well, I'm not from here, now am I?" She shook her head, turning to leave, when Boone reached out to grasp her arm, causing her to jump.

"No...No, you're not, are you? Maybe you shouldn't go. Not just yet." He thought aloud, and Alessa turned to face him again, pulling her arm from his grasp.

"Oh, so now you want something from me?" She tapped a foot irritably. "What is it? Are you going to kill me, or something?" Boone gave her an incredulous look, not that she could see it behind the shades.

"What? No. Just..." He let out an irritated sigh, rubbing his temples with a free hand. "Nobody in this town will look me straight in the eye anymore. I need someone in this town that I can trust." He explained, looking away. "You're a stranger, and that's a start." His words confused Alessa.

"So...You only trust strangers?" She asked, and Boone turned back to her, glaring.

"I said it was a start." He said flatly. Alessa merely sighed, shaking her head.

"Fine. What do you need?"

"I need you to find something for me. Dunno if anything's there to find, but...I need to know. My wife was taken by Legion slavers in the middle of the night, while I was on watch. They knew when to come, what route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone set it up, and I want their head."

"You want me to find your wife?" Alessa asked, slightly confused. Boone growled irritably.

"My wife is dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her."

"But how do you know she's-"

"I just know, alright?" Boone snapped, cutting her off. Alessa went quiet, nervous. She could feel anger, pain, and sadness radiating off his muscular form. He sighed heavily, seeing her nervous look, and turned to face the main road again. "Just...Here." He ripped the red beret off his head and threw it to her. Alessa just barely caught it, noticing that his head was shaved bald under the beret. "Lead him out in front of the dinosaur, and put this on, so I know you're standing with him. I'll handle the rest...I...I need to do this myself." Alessa could sense the pain in Boone's voice, and she nodded slowly.

"You said "him." Do...You have a suspect in mind?" She asked, recalling what she and Manny had talked about. Boone was quiet, but soon shrugged.

"I don't know who to trust anymore. And I don't know who's to blame, either. That's your job to find out." Alessa wanted to ask if he believed the culprit to be Manny, but decided against it, figuring it would probably just anger the older male.

"I'll find whoever did this. Count on it." She turned, heading back downstairs.

* . * . * . * . * . *

After at least an hour of going around and questioning people, Alessa stepped out of a run-down shack owned by a crazy old man who was called "No-Bark," but this time, she had some answers. Though the man was indeed crazy, he did give her an interesting tip. The slavers had gone into the Dino Dee-Lite office before leaving. The proof would be there, she knew. She made her way to the office, making sure she wasn't seen before entering. She looked around the empty offices, nervous as to what she would find. She decided to check the more obvious places first. She opened the drawers of a file cabinet, but found ammunition instead of files. She shrugged, pocketing the ammo. She needed it, anyway. She checked the cash register, but only found bottle caps. Those she left. She wasn't that much of a thief. She'd even checked the Sunset Sarsaparilla machine, but only found three bottles of the fizzy drink. She had nearly given up when she noticed a safe behind the desk. She quickly set to work picking the lock.

The lock wasn't hard at all to pick, but the normally satisfying "click" only served to heighten her anxiety. Inside the safe, she found two stacks of Pre-War money, a large sum of bottle caps, and a strange document. This was it. She ripped the document from the safe, and read it. She shook as she read the details of the sale of Carla Boone. Alessa wanted to vomit at the thought of a pregnant woman being sold off to the Legion. She dropped the document after reading the name of the person who damned Boone's wife and unborn child: Jeannie May Crawford.

The room was spinning. How could that nice old lady possibly have done this, Alessa wondered. She remembered the words of No-Bark Noonan: "Someone who's nice to strangers, and keeps their home spic-and-span, more than likely they've done something their own momma wouldn't be proud of." Alessa shook, regaining her composure slowly. She knew what had to be done. She left the office, and stalked off towards Jeannie May's home.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Jeannie May! Jeannie May, come quick!" Alessa shook the older woman awake, who glared at her with annoyance.

"What's all this racket? It's awful late to be droppin' in unexpected, young lady." Alessa had to bite her tongue to keep from retorting. Now that she knew the truth, she wanted to wring Jeannie May's neck, herself. But she knew this was Boone's job. She already had a plan formulated.

"You've got to come quick. There's something wrong with Cliff."

"Cliff? Cliff Briscoe?" Jeannie May's eyes widened, and she nearly shot out of bed. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Alessa lied. "He just collapsed out in front of the Dinosaur. I think he's real sick." Playing the innocent bystander card seemed to work as Jeannie May prepared to leave.

"Alright, lead the way." Jeannie May quickly slipped her glasses and shoes on, and the two left the house. When they arrived at the hill, Alessa paused, slipping on the beret Boone gave her. Jeannie May looked around, not seeing Cliff, and frowned.

"Alright, now, what's all this about?" She asked, looking to Alessa. "Wait a second, isn't that...?"

"This is Boone's beret. You know, when I came in here and you greeted me, I thought you must be the nicest lady here. Somebody people would want to be their mother or even grandmother. But not anymore." Alessa fished out the Bill of Sale, and Jeannie May looked as though she might be sick. "Why did you do it? How can you sleep at night? You sold a pregnant woman, the wife of one of the men protecting this town, to the Legion!" Alessa's rage was peaking, and Jeannie May could tell.

"Now hold on, you don't understand! They were going to take over the town if I didn't give someone over! I had no choice, no one liked her and I couldn't give up somebody like Miss Strauss or-" She didn't have a chance to finish. A .308-caliber bullet slammed into her skull, painting Alessa with blood and brains. The pale girl paled even further as she felt the remains of Jeannie May's head splash onto her body. She looked down to the headless corpse, shaking, then to the Dinosaur's Mouth, where Boone stood, and back to the older woman's corpse. She gulped, shaking, and practically ran for the Dinosaur.

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Did you have to do that while I was directly next to her?" The 21-year-old's panicked voice reached a crescendo. Boone turned nonchalantly, polishing his rifle.

"No better time. She wasn't going anywhere. Besides, why are you so green? Shit like this happens in the Wasteland all the damn time." He shook his head, looked back in Jeannie May's direction, knowing his final life goal had been finished. "That's it, then. How did you know?"

"I...I found this, in the hotel office safe. It's a Bill of Sale." Alessa spoke softly, fishing the document out of her pack, along with Boone's beret, handing them to the man. He read through the bill, and Alessa could see his hands shaking as he slipped his beret back on.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised. It'd be like them to keep paperwork." He spat venomously, pocketing the bill, and handing over some caps. "Here. This is all I can give." Alessa looked to the large amount of caps, then back to Boone. She shook her head, pushing his hand back.

"I don't need payment. Not for something like this." The girl spoke softly, and her generosity seemed to catch Boone off guard. He didn't know what to say to her, and she didn't know what to say to him. She thought for a moment. "What are you going to do after this?" Boone thought about it, and shrugged.

"I dunno. I won't be staying, that's for sure. Not much point in anything right now, except for hunting Legionaries." He looked out to the road again, the horizon now opened up to him. "Maybe I'll wander, like you." Alessa shrugged, looking up at him almost admirably, but also with pity. She knew the man was depressed, and she didn't blame him. His old life as a Novac sniper was officially over. How could anyone expect him to protect a town that betrayed him? Though, Alessa reasoned, it really wasn't the town itself, just one person. But she didn't think Craig Boone could make himself see the situation that way.

"Come with me." She said abruptly, and he turned to her, surprised. "We can go after the Legion together." Boone shook his head.

"You don't want to do that." He said flatly. Alessa shrugged.

"Why not? Besides, I thought snipers worked in teams." Her intelligence once again caught Boone off guard.

"Hn. Yeah. Working on your own, you're a lot less effective. I've been there, and paid for it." He trailed off, memories surfacing, but he shook them away. "Fine. Let's get out of here." Alessa nodded.

"Just one more question...Does this mean we're both outlaws now?" Boone merely chuckled.

"No. People die in the Wastes so often, that no one ever knows who to blame. Too busy trying to forget it happens in the first place, I guess. Besides..." He smirked, looking back at Jeannie May's corpse. "I was on break when it happened."


	13. Chapter Twelve: Saviors

It had been three weeks since Alessa had met Boone, and much to the man's chagrin they remained in Novac for a vast majority of those weeks while Alessa helped out around the rest of the town. With the help of ED-E, she tracked down an invisible Nightkin who'd been slaughtering Dusty McBride's Brahmin, and thus was rewarded with pound upon pound of Brahmin steak. Currently, she kept two of those steaks with them to cook on their journey, the rest sitting in her fridge back in Novac. She'd also gotten Ranger Andy back on his feet, and checked on Ranger Station Charlie at his request.

Boone could still remember the young woman's naive curiosity as they entered the empty Station. Where she was curious, Boone was cautious. Something did not feel right to him. No Ranger Station he had ever visited during his tour of duty was ever left abandoned. She began to search the old mobile homes that served as makeshift barracks for any sign of living. She found some bottles of alcohol (Pocketing a bottle of Scotch, which caused Boone to chuckle; That was his favorite, too.) and some scrap parts, but nothing else. Above the mobile homes, on the rooftops where Rangers spied on Legion soldiers crossing the desert, she found some ammo, and even a pair of sunglasses. She took them, commenting that the "damned sun was always in her eyes."

The two stood in front of the Comm Station door for a long time, as Alessa mustered up the courage to enter. Now she was starting to get worried, and for good reason; Boone noticed some Legionaries crossing the hills not too far from the area.

"This stinks of Legion." He muttered.

"I know." Alessa replied. She shakily reached for the doorknob, opening it, but soon wished she hadn't. She was instantly assaulted by the smell of decaying bodies, gagging and holding her mouth. The look of shock on her face told Boone everything, and as he looked inside, his stomach turned just slightly when he saw his suspicions were, indeed, true. Two dead soldiers lay on the floor, and as Boone looked a bit closer, he noticed they looked as though they'd been laid there purposefully, not having fallen there when they died. He turned to Alessa, about to speak when he noticed tears in her eyes. He couldn't help wondering what kind of rock this kid crawled out from under to react this way to death. Anyone else, they would've been picking through the corpses' pockets by now, searching for any food or drink left behind by the bodies that would no longer need their sustenance.

But here was this kid, looking like someone had just raped her mother right in front of her, and she'd seen nothing yet. Hell, she didn't even know these guys. Boone had seen much worse during his time. If this was how she reacted to Legion slaughter, he didn't want to know how much of a backbone she could possibly have when they marched to take the Mojave. He figured her backbone wasn't much to begin with, anyway.

"Get up." He commanded. "We have a job to finish." His voice was stern, as though scolding her for reacting the way she did. She nodded, a choked sob slipping from her throat, wiping her eyes hastily.

"We...We've got to bury them. We can't...Can't leave them like this." She moved inside, and Boone swiftly grabbed her arm.

"No. Legion does this a lot. Notice how the bodies are laid out, like they're hiding something." He pointed out that one body was clearly being pushed up just slightly, indeed hiding something sinister underneath. "Mines. Legion does it all the time. Doesn't want us to bury our kin, so they make sure we get blown up if we try."

"I know how to disarm a mine." Alessa carefully crept over to one of the bodies, moving it as though it were a huge, delicate vase that could shatter any moment. Once the mine was revealed, she quickly set to work disarming it. Boone hated to admit it, but he was impressed. For being so green, the kid clearly had a lot of tech experience. That was a good thing. He hated any technology that wasn't a gun, grenade, or mine. Alessa did the same to the second body, by the bathroom, and placed the mines very carefully into her pack. ED-E floated in after them, sensors searching for threats, finding none. Boone moved over to the Comm Officers' desks, hoping to find some sort of clue, and he did. Two holotapes, one dated, the other unmarked. This roused suspicion in the man, and he turned to Alessa.

"Hey. Found something." He called to the girl as she stared in horror at a massive bloodstain on the wall of the bathroom. Snapping back to reality, she nodded, moving over to him.

"Holotapes." She commented, wondering if they should listen to them now, or bring them to Andy. She handed her sack to Boone. "Put them in. We'll bring them to Andy, see what he thinks we should do afterwards." ED-E's sensors suddenly roused an alert, and Alessa turned her attention to a room with a closed door. She cautiously moved towards it, Plasma Pistol drawn just in case, and opened the door. She looked around, seeing nothing.

"That doesn't make sense," she muttered. "ED-E's sensors..." That was when she looked down, and noticed the tripwire at the door. She frowned, stepping back, and grabbed a trooper's helmet. Boone raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell are you-""Shh. Watch." She stood the helmet up on its edge, and rolled it towards the tripwire. As the helmet triggered the wire, an explosion ensued, causing Alessa to cry out as a coffee mug flew towards her head. The girl narrowly dodged the assault, looking into the room at the destruction. Boone was even more impressed.

"Never seen anybody make a move like that." He murmured. "Clever." Alessa smiled. That was the closest thing to a compliment the man had given her in the past three weeks.

"Thanks." She entered the room, now that it was safe. She suddenly felt her stomach turn, finding two more bodies, slowly decomposing. She was even more shocked to find that one of the bodies had been stripped naked...And the corpse was a female. Boone stepped in after her, his stomach turning again when he saw the nude woman's body. Carla's frightened face suddenly appeared in his mind, and he clenched his fists, trying to fight the vision away. He didn't want to think about what the Legion had done to this woman before killing her. It made him think of what they could have done to Carla.

Alessa sensed his tension, and ushered him out of the room so she could investigate, making up a lame excuse that he needed to make sure ED-E didn't get into anything she wasn't supposed to. The other body looked to be a Ranger, wearing armor and a hat similar to Andy's. She wondered if they'd perhaps been friends. She shook her head, noticing a safe under the beds. She picked the lock easily, finding more alcohol, some caps, and some personal female belongings: A necklace, a photograph of two girls and what must've been their parents. Another photograph of a woman and a man, both NCR soldiers. As Alessa studied the second photo, she noticed that the woman in the photo was not the dead woman lying a few feet away from her, and the man was not the Ranger in the room.

"Oh, God." She murmured.

"What is it?" Boone moved back into the room, once he'd composed himself. Alessa grabbed her bag, digging out the holotapes. She popped the first one into her Pip Boy, a shaky hand still clutching that second photo. The officer speaking on the tape was complaining about how a scouting team came back late. It must've been a regular occurrence, because he didn't seem at all concerned. The tape ended abruptly, when the team had presumably entered the office. Alessa gulped, ripping the tape out, and popping the second in. The second tape was the icing on this gruesome little cake.

"This is a message to the NCR from the Legion. We are coming for you. Run, and we will catch you. Hide, and we will find you. No matter what you do, you are all going to die." Alessa shook even more, listening to the threat, but she finally lost her lunch when she heard the last line.

"We took one of the women alive."

Alessa dropped the photo, getting up and running to the bathroom. Boone could hear her vomiting, but he didn't grimace. Instead, he picked up the photo, looking at it, then looking to the body of the woman on the floor. Boone growled, realizing that the woman in the photo was the one who'd been taken. Boone knew who she was, met her shortly before resigning and moving to Novac. Her name was Sheila, or Sally, definitely something with an "S." It took him a few moments to remember. It was Stella. He knew the man in the photo, too. Ralph, her fiancée. He then realized that Ralph was one of the dead men in the main room. He was shaking now, as well, but in rage, not fear. He stepped out of the room, and Alessa stepped out of the bathroom, wiping her mouth. Strangely enough, ED-E hovered around her, beeping and fussing as though it were concerned for her.

"I'm...I'll be okay." She looked up at Boone, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "We...Can we bury them now? Please?" Boone nodded. They spent the next three hours digging makeshift graves in the center of the Ranger Station, and conducting a short funeral-esque service for them. Afterwards, they returned to Novac, relaying the situation to Ranger Andy when they got there.

"I...I don't know what to say." Andy was at a loss for words. Hearing that his friends at the Station were dead, and that poor young Stella had been captured seemed to knock all of the words out of him.

"I...I'm sorry, Andy. If it helps, we gave them a proper burial." Alessa tried to be reassuring, and it seemed to work. Andy sighed heavily, and nodded.

"Those were good men and women. They deserved that much, at least." He looked up at the girl and Boone. "You two took quite a risk going out there. I might not have known it 'til now, but I nearly endangered your lives. You deserve a little something for your trouble." He moved over to his wardrobe, fishing out a small satchel of caps, handing it to Alessa. "Here. Consider it a gift from the Ranger Vets fund. And before you go, there's somethin' else I can teach ya." He smiled faintly. "I thought a lot about what you said before you left, that just 'cause my body's busted don't mean I can't help people out. Not often that people line up to see what's in my head." He cracked his knuckles, getting into a combat stance. "Boone already knows this move. I taught it to him myself when he was still a rookie. Us Rangers are good with guns, but there are times where we need an extra edge. This Ranger Takedown move ensures that we're still a threat even without our weapons. Boone, why don't you come on over here and demonstrate for us?"

"Your leg..." Boone started.

"I'll be fine. Just come on over here." Andy replied. Boone sighed in exasperation, and moved over to the man. A few hours and a lot of mistakes later, Alessa left with the knowledge of a new combat move. Andy stood at the door, waving the two goodbye.

"You'll get the hang of that takedown in time!" He called. "Can't tell you how many times I landed on my ass before I got it down!" Alessa laughed, waving in return.

"Thanks, Andy! I'll be sure to make you proud!"

* . * . * . * . * . *

"Boone? Hey, Boone?" Alessa's voice brought Boone back to the present, and his head snapped in her direction. It was nighttime now, and they'd set up camp somewhere in the hills between Novac and Primm Pass. A fire crackled, illuminating the pale girl's face as she held a frying pan. "The steaks are done. You wanted yours medium-rare, right?" Boone nodded, and Alessa began plating. He was surprised to see how good a cook she was. She made a simple dish of Brahmin steak, a roasted potato and two ears of maize, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper she'd nabbed before leaving Novac. Boone dug in, starving, and nodded in approval.

"Mmsghood." He muttered with food in his mouth. Alessa giggled, assuming that meant, "It's good."

"Thanks." She sat down and began to eat as well, her thoughts wandering.

"So, tell me more about yourself." She decided she needed to know more about him if they were going to travel together. "You never did mention what happened to your wife." The look he gave her told her she'd said the wrong thing.

It was a question Boone had dreaded hearing. He was fairly surprised the young courier had the nerve to bring it up at all. She had been just as silent, if not moreso than the ex-NCR sniper since they'd left Novac. Boone had heard of her exploits, of course. She was all over Radio New Vegas. He'd heard everything: How she'd helped not one but two towns fend off gangs of convicts, how she got the NCR troops stationed in Primm to get off their asses and help the town. And she still bore heavily-bandaged wounds from her encounter with a Deathclaw in Primm Pass. It wasn't every day someone went toe-to-toe with a Deathclaw and survived to tell the tale, even if the Deathclaw _was_ blind. But again, most of these events he'd heard over the radio, or in the case of the Deathclaw attack, through the grapevine (Ada Strauss, the good doctor, had a thing for gossip.) She didn't talk about her exploits personally.

But here she was, asking him questions she had no right asking. It pissed him off. He took a swig of Scotch, violently stabbing his fork into his steak.

"You got no right asking me that." He snapped. "Carla's dead. That's all you need to know, so drop it." The dark-haired girl beside him could feel the anger flowing from the sniper's body, and another emotion, too. One she couldn't quite pin down.

"I just want to understand you better. I don't feel like I can fully trust you." She observed his reaction as she spoke. The words spurned confusion in the older male.

"Then why the Hell did you ask me to travel with you?" He asked. Alessa pursed her lips in thought.

"Do you want the honest answer?" She asked. "Or the lie?" Boone shrugged.

"Doesn't matter." He answered, taking a harsh bite out of the ear of maize on his plate.

"I really don't know." She answered. "It's like you said back in Novac. When you're alone, you're ineffective. Mistakes get made." She paused, swallowing hard. "You lose things. Important things. I made a mistake when I went through Goodsprings alone that night. I...I lost everything." Her expression hardened, and Boone could swear he saw tears glittering in her hazel eyes. "I refuse to make that mistake again. I-" Boone didn't want to silence her. He knew it was best to just let a girl talk until they were satisfied. His time with Carla taught him that. But he heard something. Something unsettling.

"Quiet. Listen." Alessa instantly shut up, and listened.

"It sounds like..."

"A woman screaming." Boone finished, his expression hardening. He set his plate on the ground, and moved to the top of the hill to get a better view in the direction of the screams. He grabbed his scoped hunting rifle, aiming it in the direction of what looked like a camp. What he saw through the scope instantly filled him with rage.

"Legion." He growled. Alessa grabbed a pair of binoculars, looking in the direction of the camp. There were at least six Legionaries, two of them holding a girl with long, messy dark brown hair. The girl wore what looked like a Great Khan outfit to Boone.

"Is that a Khan?" Alessa asked, noting that the outfit looked similar to what the men who accompanied Benny wore. Boone nodded.

"I think so. Two Powder Gangers, too, over by the fire." They watched for a moment as a Veteran Decanus gave an order, and the men began to forcibly strip the young woman. Alessa's eyes widened in horror.

"Th-They're not going to..."

"Not if I can help it." Boone growled, aiming for the Decanus' head. He fired, the bullet hitting its mark. The Decanus' body toppled to the ground as his head exploded. The other Legionaries were momentarily stunned before dropping the girl, drawing their weapons, and searching for their assailant. Boone smirked, popping another, and another. It wasn't long until they caught on, and began heading in their direction. Boone laid his rifle down, pulling a combat knife from his boot.

"You good at stealth?" He asked. Alessa nodded, also drawing a combat knife she'd found at Ranger Station Charlie. "Good. Don't let them see you if you can avoid it." The two began to sneak towards the men, using rocks as cover. Once they were close enough, Boone gave a "One, Two, Three" signal, before moving to slit one of the remaining three men's throats, blood spraying from the wound. Alessa followed suit as Boone took down the remaining Legionary. Once they were all dead, ED-E released its usual victory trumpet music. Alessa looked in the direction of the camp, and headed down there, her companions following.

"Are you alright?" Alessa asked, moving to the Powder Gangers while Boone helped the woman. She couldn't have been much older than twenty, with skin a lovely tan color, sun-kissed cheeks, a face like a cherub. Her eyes were dark pools of chocolate, captivating him for a moment as he looked into them. Oh God, he realized. She looked like a younger version of his Carla. Her hair was longer, though, and messier. And Carla wasn't a Khan. Alessa freed the Powder Gangers, and they gave their thanks, swearing they'd live a pious life of religious dedication in return for their prayers being answered. They ran as far from the camp as they could.

"So...So you're my mystery guardian angels." The girl forced a smile as she began to re-dress herself, although she still seemed very nervous. "Nice to know I got a guardian angel with a 50-cal." She joked. Boone shook his head.

"If it was a 50-cal, you'd be covered in blood right now, and that bastard wouldn't have a head." He couldn't take his eyes off the girl. Even her body was the same as Carla's. Long legs, decently sized breasts and hips, a thin waist. She looked a bit more rugged than Carla, probably due to wandering the Wastes for her entire life.

"Those brutes didn't hurt you, did they?" Alessa asked, approaching the two and bringing Boone back to reality.

"Nah...Nah, not too much. Roughed me up a little when they caught me tryin' to steal their healing powder, but you...You guys got 'em before they did anything worse." Her voice had a soft Hispanic accent to it, and Alessa wondered how far south the girl was originally from. "Didn't expect my guardian angels to be NCR soldiers." She commented, noting Boone's beret.

"Ex." He said, frowning. "Ex-NCR."

"I'm not NCR at all." Alessa clarified. "I...I just couldn't allow something like this to happen if I could stop it. But Boone's the one you should be thanking, really. He's the one who spotted you and shot those bastards." The Khan girl smiled at Boone, and it tugged on his heartstrings, although he would never admit it.

"Well, thanks for that. Most NCR would've just kept on walkin' when they saw I was a Khan, and those guys were Powder Gangers. It's nice to see some unbiased people for a change." She looked to Alessa, still smiling charmingly. "You two got names?"

"Of course. My name's Alessa Grant." Alessa held out a hand, and the girl shook it, turning back to Boone.

"Boone. Craig Boone." He shook her hand in return, noting she had a strong grip.

"You guys got nicer names than me. Got drunk off my ass before I got my initiation done, and named myself Cherry Blossom." She shook her head. "Man, don't _ever _drink Whiskey and do Jet at the same time, leads to some stupid shit." Alessa was surprised by the girl's sudden vulgarity, when she'd seemed so charming just a moment ago.

"Well, if you don't like your name, what do we call you?"

"Sakura." She answered. "Found it in some book about a place called Japan, before the war. Means the same thing, but it's got a nicer ring to it. Not as girly." Sakura flashed a grin. "So, where you two headed?"

"Outpost." Boone answered. "Mojave Outpost." Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Huh. Thought you two weren't NCR."

"We're not." Alessa answered. "But Boone knows Major Knight well, and we both need our equipment repaired. Besides, my robot could use a tune-up. She's in bad shape from a Deathclaw attack a few weeks ago." Sakura's eyes widened, looking up at ED-E, who floated around them, beeping as it analyzed the newcomer. Sakura noticed a deep gash in its metal plating.

"Daaaayum." She murmured. "You took on a Deathclaw? That's some pretty whacked shit."

"I...Thank you?" Alessa wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. Sakura's chuckle told her it was.

"Well...If I stick to myself, this shit's gonna happen again. I got no weapons, no armor besides my Khan outfit. Bastard Legionaries threw my shit near a Cazador nest, or so they said. Anyway, I go out there like this, I'm good as fucked."

"So...Are you asking to join us?" Alessa asked. Sakura nodded.

"You cool with it?"

"Sure, I'm, uh...I'm cool." Alessa nodded, glancing to Boone, who shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me."

"Well, great." Alessa smiled. "Um...Our camp's just up the hill from here. We were eating. Would you like some?" Sakura's eyes lit up. She hadn't eaten in days.

"You just won my heart, girlie, and my stomach. Let's get the fuck outta this shithole."


	14. Author's Note: Sorry for the Delay!

Hello everyone! I apologize wholeheartedly for the delay. There has been a lot going on in my life for the past couple of months, and regrettably I lost inspiration for the story. I've been so concerned with other things in my life that it's just been thrown to the backburner. I did manage to write two chapters, but they've been scrapped because I just didn't feel like they were up to my standards. Honestly, they feel rushed, and like I was just writing them to keep my readers.

Seeing that my story is still being read, despite this hiatus, has given me a bit of a confidence boost, however. And I've managed to pick up the game again in the hopes that it will spur me into writing a new chapter, or two, or ten. I cannot make any guarantees on when the next chapter(s) will come out, but I want everyone to know that this story is NOT dead. It's just going to take a bit to get it moving forward again.

I want to sincerely thank my readers for waiting so patiently for a new chapter. I am REALLY sorry about the delay, but I aim to get a new chapter up by the beginning of June. Like I said before, I can't make a definite deadline, but I am going to try my absolute hardest to get the next chapter up by then. Again, I'm so sorry for the delay, but thank you for your continuing support. It means a lot!


	15. Chapter Thirteen: Companions

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update this. Been pretty busy, and I don't have as much time to get to the library to update. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and again, sorry for the delay!

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><p>"So, where did you two say you were headed again?" Sakura asked as the three arrived at the small camp that Boone and Alessa had set up, before the fiasco with the Legion. Boone was mildly irritated. It had only been perhaps a ten-minute walk, but Sakura hadn't shut up the entire time. He could already tell this would be a long night, and was half tempted to go off and hunt some Bighorners, if he knew the girls could take care of themselves. Alessa might have been a good shot, but Boone doubted she could hold her own if another Legion patrol found them. Though, he had to admit, she handled herself pretty well during the rescue. Sakura, however, he knew wouldn't be able to handle herself. The only thing the young Hispanic woman was equipped with was an old nine millimeter pistol, and it was out of ammo. Boone couldn't help wondering if it even worked, considering how old and worn-out it looked. Then again, his rifle still worked, although he'd had to "jury rig" it a couple of times.<p>

"First, the Mojave Outpost, then on to Boulder City." Alessa answered, idly looking out into the distance. She could see bright lights, from where they were camped. She wondered if that was New Vegas, way out there in the desert. "I'm...Searching for someone. Someone that took something from me."

"Really? Who?" Sakura asked, curious. She didn't know anything about Alessa or Boone, other than the stories she'd heard on the radio about the young Courier. Sakura had learned a long time ago that it was good to know who had your back, and she intended to learn what she could about her companions.

"It's...Complicated." Alessa replied, frowning bitterly at her only memory from before she awoke in Doc Mitchell's home. A man in a checkered coat, face shrouded in shadow, the only light coming from a city in the distance, and the glowing embers of the cigarette in the man's mouth. As if reading Alessa's mind, Sakura caught on to the answer.

"Oh, I get it. You're after the guy who shot you, right?" Sakura shook her head. "Your eggs must really be scrambled if you're gonna go after a guy like that. Lucky you've got Mr. Surly over there, your little robot friend, and me to help you out." The woman flashed a coy grin. "I might not look it, but I'm a pretty good shot...When I have ammo in my gun, that is." She removed her pistol from her holster, idly looking it over. Alessa noticed that Sakura's expression changed as she looked at the gun. Fond, but forlorn, as if the weapon held too many memories.

"Did you inherit that gun?" Alessa asked delicately, gauging Sakura's reaction. She'd learned to be careful about asking too many questions from Boone. The man was a time bomb. One false word and he'd explode. Luckily for the Courier, Sakura did not have an angry expression on her face, but instead had a sad sort of smile.

"Yeah. Was my dad's. He...Died a long time ago." Sakura averted her gaze, feeling a small amount of sorrow swell inside her."Oh." Alessa felt a little bit bad for probably bringing up painful memories. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Sakura answered, holstering the pistol again. "I had good times with my 'rents. Lucky for me, they taught me everything I ever needed to know before they kicked off. See, Dad was a good shot, and he was even better with blades. Give him a machete or one of those fancy ninja-swords you see sometimes, and he'd cut down anything. Mom was more into herbal remedies and cooking. Kinda traditional mom, y'know? She didn't really like fighting. Left that to my dad. They were both pretty cool, though."

"Do you miss them?" Alessa asked, and grimaced slightly as she noticed a look from Boone that very clearly said, "You ask way too many questions." Sakura merely shrugged in reply.

"Some days, I think about 'em and I feel kinda sad, if that's what you mean. But in a way, I mean, they're kinda better off, y'know? Dad probably would've gotten himself shot up by NCR anyway, and mom, well, she was always getting sick. I just wish they could've died a different way."

"How did they die?" The words were out of Alessa's mouth before she could stop herself. Boone by now had given up trying to keep Alessa from asking too many questions, and merely grunted irritably, poking at the fire they'd started with a stick. Sakura's expression changed to a bit of an uncomfortable expression, and Alessa could swear that Sakura had glanced warily to Boone before looking back to Alessa and answering.

"I don't really wanna talk about it. No offense, just...Not right now." Alessa nodded, understanding, but was confused by the look Sakura had given Boone. It was a nervous look, as if afraid that the answer to her parents' death would somehow set Boone off. Boone hadn't noticed, too preoccupied with keeping the fire going, scowling at the already dwindling flames.

"Needs more kindling." He spoke up gruffly, standing and stretching before grabbing his rifle, which he'd set down in order to tend to the fire. "I'll get some." He began to walk down the hill, searching for anything that could be used for kindling. Alessa decided this would be the perfect time to change the subject.

"Um...You said your mother taught you to cook. Are you good at it?" She asked, and was relieved when Sakura grinned.

"I can make a mean Gecko Kebab, if you've got some prickly pears and a jalapeño or two." She answered, sounding quite proud of herself. "I can make other stuff, too. Maybe when Mr. Tough Guy gets back I can show you some recipes." The two then proceeded to prepare the food they wanted to make, and once Boone returned with some kindling, they cooked up a nice meal of Gecko Kebabs, maize, Pork 'n Beans, and a few slices of leftover prickly pear for dessert.

* . * . * . * . * . *

As they ate, Sakura decided to take this time to get to know her other companion a little better, or at least try to do so. But to her surprise, Boone spoke first.

"You said before they threw your gear away. How'd you keep a hold of that pistol?" He asked, mildly curious. The Legion was usually very good about finding concealed weapons.

"Remember how I took off for a bit before I followed you guys? Well, before those bastards caught me, I saw them coming. I knew I couldn't run, 'cause they'd just shoot me anyways. I knew they'd take the rest of my gear and chuck it, so I buried the pistol. Didn't get to finish filling the hole, though. So when they tried to go look in it, I told 'em it was where I did my business." She grinned. Boone snorted despite himself. He had to admit that was pretty funny.

"Guess even Legionaries won't dig through that." He chuckled faintly.

"There was nothin' in the hole 'sides my gun, of course, but they jumped back pretty quick when I told 'em otherwise." Sakura giggled. Alessa laughed softly, as well.

"That's pretty clever." Alessa said after swallowing a small mouthful of beans.

"Thanks. I thought so, too." Sakura grinned, glancing to Boone. She had to admit, the man was attractive, but even though she barely knew the man, she knew he had a lot going on inside.

"So, Tough Guy, where you from?" She asked. Boone gulped down a mouthful of kebab before answering.

"Hub. Family owns a little farm out there." He answered simply.

"Heh, must be where you got those muscles, hm?" She teased, and Boone grumbled as he felt his cheeks flare up despite himself.

"Uh...Yeah. I guess." He replied, scratching his arm. It was a habit of his whenever he was nervous. Unfortunately, he was never very charismatic, and even less so around attractive young ladies. Sakura grinned playfully as she noted his blush, giving his arm a light nudge with a fist.

"What're you so damn shy about? We're all pals in arms, here." She finished off her maize, speaking up again once she'd swallowed. "So, farm life, eh? Must've been nice to live so peaceful. You learn how to shoot there?" Boone nodded in reply.

"Dad taught me how to fire and maintain a gun. Said I was in charge of keeping the usual pests away from our crops and our animals. Once I turned eighteen, NCR started recruiting again. I signed up. Dad had been in the NCR for a while, said it was the time of his life. Mom worried. Thought I'd never make it home, or if I did, I'd be in a box. Still write her letters every so often so she doesn't worry too much." A thought came to him at the mention of the letters. "Hm...Come to think of it, haven't written her one lately."

"Better get on that when we get to the Outpost, or she might have a heart attack." Sakura joked. Boone shrugged, taking another large bite from his Gecko Kebab. Sakura turned her attention to Alessa next. "What about you? Any family?"

"I...Don't remember." Alessa answered, looking down at the ground, suddenly feeling very small and meek. "When the Doctor in Goodsprings gave me this Vault suit to wear, though...I felt like I'd seen one before. A long time ago. But I can't remember where."

"Maybe you grew up in a Vault." Sakura suggested over a mouthful of beans. "Your skin's pretty pale, and you're kinda short. Not like a Waster at all. You look like a Vaultie."

"Maybe." Alessa pondered the idea. She didn't even know what a Vault looked like. "What are Vaults, anyway?"

"Kinda like big, metal caves." Boone explained. "Before the war, the government built a lot of them. Meant to keep people safe when the bombs fell. But it was hard to get in. You had to be rich or lucky to have a place in a Vault. Lot of people were stuck outside because they couldn't afford it. Most of them died, some became Ghouls. Some survived in bunkers, instead of Vaults. Most of the Vaults are open now, abandoned. Same with the bunkers."

"Why were they so expensive?" Alessa asked, frowning. The idea of people dying because they couldn't afford shelter was insane to her.

"They were real state of the art." Sakura answered. "Best tech of the age. But I'm glad I wasn't born in one. There's rumors that some of the Vaults, well...The people inside them were experimented on. Crazy stuff. There's a legend about a Vault in the desert that has plants spilling out of its door. They're never watered, never tended to. They just grow. But anybody who's ever tried to explore the Vault...They never came out. Mom used to tell me horror stories about it to get me to behave. Silly stuff, like how bad little boys and girls would get dragged off to the Vault by plant-men and were never heard from again." She laughed at the memory of the stories her parents would tell. "It sure got me to do what I had to do, even if I didn't like it." Alessa could understand that. The idea of plant-men scared her, and she was an adult. Of course, she was quite unnerved by Ghouls and other such creatures, as well.

"It sounds scary. I'm not sure I'd be too keen on seeing a Vault, myself." Alessa spoke with a nervous tone in her voice, as she finally finished the rest of her meal.

"Well, there's a Vault in Vegas. Vault 21. 'Course, now it's more like a hotel. Pretty popular attraction, though. Not too many people out here even know what a Vault looks like these days. Think Mom said once that my great-great-grandma or somethin' was born in a Vault, but I dunno. Maybe once we get to Vegas, we can check it out. Might bring back memories." Sakura suggested, and Alessa thought it over.

"Wouldn't hurt, I suppose." She stood slowly, stretching. "I'm going to wash my plate off, then try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, I'm ready for bed, too." Sakura agreed, and stood as well, glancing to Boone. "Guess you're on guard duty." Boone merely shrugged, finishing off his meal.

"Suppose so. Not a big deal. I don't sleep much, anyway." He replied nonchalantly, handing his plate off to Sakura, who'd offered to help Alessa wash them. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Don't sleep much? Oh, right. Soldier boy." She nodded, as if understanding. Boone grumbled under his breath, looking away. Sakura took that as her cue to go. As she and Alessa began to wash the dishes in a watering hole not far from the camp, Alessa spoke up.

"You know...That's the most I've heard him talk since I met him." Alessa commented, glancing to Sakura. The other girl blinked, as if confused.

"Seriously? Huh. Wonder why he chooses now to open up a little." She shrugged, and continued washing. Alessa couldn't help wondering, herself. Perhaps she'd ask Boone about it later. The worst he could do is get all surly and grumble a lot, like he usually did. The dishes were quickly washed, and the two returned to the camp. Sakura immediately headed to bed, but Alessa stayed up a bit longer. She felt that familiar curiosity gnawing at her from the inside, and knew it wouldn't rest until she'd asked Boone what was going on inside his head.

"That was the most you've spoken since I've met you." Alessa took a seat beside Boone on the hill, looking out at the distance. He had his scope trained on something, but she couldn't see what from here. The fire had already been snuffed out, probably so no one would really know they were there. Boone shrugged. "What're you looking at?" Alessa asked, glancing up to him. He looked intimidating with that gun in his hands. Alessa almost felt a little bit nervous.

"Gecko. Gold one. Making sure it doesn't come here." Boone answered matter-of-factly, before taking a shot. He smirked, seeing through his scope that the bullet had hit its mark, the Gecko falling dead. Alessa still couldn't see a thing in the darkness.

"There's something about her, isn't there?" Alessa asked. "Sakura, I mean. She's very...Open. Friendly. She isn't like anyone else I've run into so far." Boone mumbled something under his breath, and Alessa barely heard it. "Sorry, what?" She asked, for clarification. Boone sighed heavily, lowering his rifle.

"She reminds me of my wife." He murmured softly, opening up a bottle of water, and downing it quickly.

"Physically, or personality-wise?" Alessa asked, curious.

"Physically, mostly. She acts different than Carla. Rowdy. Loud. Carla was..." He sighed, shaking his head. "Drop the subject. I don't want to talk about it."

"Maybe it will help." Alessa suggested. Boone sighed again.

"Look. Nothing personal, just...I don't want to talk about it. Go to bed. I've got it covered up here." Alessa nodded, and stood up.

"Alright...I'll leave ED-E out here with you. She can detect threats on her radar."

"Hn." Boone grumbled. "Never much liked robots, honestly."

"You'll like her when she saves you from a Deathclaw." Alessa teased, soon calling ED-E over. "ED-E, surveillance mode. Let Boone know if you find any nearby threats." She ordered, and ED-E answered with a simple series of beeps, floating over to Boone and hovering near his head. "Well...Good night."

"'Night." Boone replied, and Alessa headed to bed. Her sleep was restless, as always, plagued by dreams of a man in a checkered coat, a gun barrel to her head, and ending with a bang, which always seemed to wake her up. She'd look around frantically, realize she was safe in the camp with Sakura and Boone, and let out a heavy sigh. She'd lay back down, and try to get herself to calm down enough so she could sleep again. It was a vicious cycle she'd followed every night since waking up at Doc Mitchell's, and she knew she'd continue to follow it until she finally got the answers she sought.


End file.
